The Last Adopted Daughter of Krypton
by Jetslay
Summary: Lois's genetics are changing. Now it's up to Clark to help her to adapt to her new life. Clois. Season six, AU.
1. Chapter 1

**Pairing:** Clark and Lois.

 **Rating:** PG-13.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Smallville and its characters.

 **Summary:** Lois's genetics are changing. Now it's up to Clark to help her to adapt to her new life. Clois. Season six, AU.

-º-

The world was facing one of its most terrifying days. A blackout caused by Brainiac for his master Zod was the source of it. Scared citizens running around cities, massive riots, violence, unprotect stores and markets being assaulted. It was hell on Earth and its lord goes by the name of Krypton's most dangerous outlaw, Zod.

However, not only the people in the ground were suffering. In the sky in an airplane where one of Brainiac's duplicate piloted it, two more people were focus of his path of destruction, Martha and Lois. They were losing oxygen, causing Martha to collapse. Lois managed to open one of the oxygen masks compartments with a spoon but wasn't strong enough to grab it and then passed out.

The plane started to fall. Everything seemed lost until a bright light surrounded the airplane making it land abruptly on snow.

Martha regained consciousness several minutes later with a headache. "Lois?"

"Lois? Lois?" She got up and kept calling, breathing heavily. Martha then found her Chief of Staff, her body lying between the airplane and the snow, blood coming out of her head. "Oh, my God! Lois! Lois! Lois!" Martha then grabbed Lois's body and turned her face to her chest and realized a metal perforated her stomach. "Oh, my God! Sweetie."

Lois was still breathing, but barely conscious. Tears threaten to fall from Martha's eyes. "Everything is gonna be all right. I'm gonna get us out of here." Martha covered her body with a blanket, but Lois started to cough blood and her eyes started to close. "Lois! Lois!"

Desperate, Martha headed to the pilot cabin where the radio communication was. "Mayday. Mayday! Our plane is down, one person is severely hurt. Can anyone hear me?" She then stopped at the sight in front of her. Through the windshield of the airplane, she saw an unusual crystalline building, which by Clark's description could only be the Fortress of Solitude.

Using all of the strength she had left, Martha put Lois on the yanked door of the plane and dragged it to the Fortress with a rope. Lois's state was getting worse as they walked in the snow.

They reached the Fortress. "Lois. Lois," Martha tried to keep Lois awake and protect her from the cold with the blanket.

"Martha Kent," Jor-El spoke.

Martha got up and crossed her arms, protecting herself from the cold. "Jor-El. This is the Fortress Clark told me about. Why did you bring us here? Why did you crash our plane?"

"You were taken was pawns by the Brain Interact Construct, the being you know as Milton Fine."

"Clark –"

"I gave him a dagger to kill the vessel of Zod. Instead, he chose to use it against Fine."

"Where is he? Where… Where is Clark?"

"The dagger is part of this Fortress. Pluging it into Fine destroyed all copies but also damaged this structure and released Zod."

Martha raised her voice. "What happened to my son, Jor-El?"

"Banished forever by Zod."

"Bring him back. You have to bring him home," she said, trying to contain the tears.

"Not within my power. His destiny is now his own."

Martha angered. "I've lost my husband and now my son by your games!"

"We have both lost so much, Martha Kent. But you must put your anguish aside if you wish to save your world. Kal-El's mission must be completed. Retrieve the dagger and kill Zod's vessel… Lex Luthor."

"You want me to murder Le –"

Martha was interrupted when a pain sound came from Lois. She was trembling, blood coming from her mouth nonstop. "Lois! Lois, sweetie, stay with me." Tears started to drop from Martha's eyes. "Jor-El! You have to help her."

"You must hurry, Martha Kent. The world doesn't have much time left."

"She's dying, Jor-El. Please, you have to help her. She's important to your son. She's important to me."

A bright light surrounded Lois's body. Martha took a step back. After a couple of minutes, the light disappeared revealing an unconscious Lois. "Lois Lane will be fine."

"Thank you, Jor-El."

"Zod has taken over Lex Luthor's body and given him all the powers of a true Kryptonian. You must find a way to end this or all is lost."

"All right. Send me back." Martha joined Lois's side and put her hand on Lois's cheeks, relieved that she was safe now.

"Everything you've done for Kal-El… You have my deepest gratitude. I couldn't have wished for a brighter light to guide my son. Farewell, Martha Kent."

With that, Martha and Lois disappeared within the bright light.

-º-

When Martha returned to Smallville, Lana decided to take by herself the mission to kill Zod – and Lex – with the dagger. Lana then failed and started to get choked to death by Zod, being saved in the last minute by Clark, who had escaped the Phantom Zone. Lana passed out and Clark blasted with his heat vision the hard drive Zod used to start an earthquake on Earth, stopping it. After a difficult fight, Clark managed to send Zod back to the Phantom Zone with a crystal that Raya, the Phantom Zone guardian, gave him, freeing Lex from Zod's control.

Lois was in a hospital bed, uncomfortable, when Clark entered the room. "Hey, Smallville."

"Hey, how are you feeling?" He sat on a chair next to her bed.

"Great, actually. I don't even know why I'm in the hospital."

"You suffered hypothermia. You need to be watched."

"Guess I have to thank your mother for that. You know, honestly... I don't even remember the plane going down. The cabin lost pressure and I was gasping for breath and then I was in this palace of ice. It was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. I was bathed in this warm light, and I knew everything was gonna be okay."

Clark looked surprised. "Lois, you were, uh, hurt pretty badly. Maybe you were hallucinating."

"No. It was real. I think I died and went to heaven."

Clark smiled at her choice of words. "Then I'm glad you're back." He held her hand with his.

Lois looked at his hand holding hers and back at him shocked. Clark then realized what he did and pulled back immediately. Silence and uncomfortableness took over the room and then Clark left it, saying goodbye to Lois.

-º-

"Clark! How are Lois and Chloe?" Martha asked, happy to see his son.

"Fine. Both are gonna be fine."

Martha smiled. "Good. Lionel told me his connectionto Jor-El is gone."

"Along with any influence he had over him," Clark said, concerned.

"Maybe we're all better off without Jor-El in our lives," Martha retorted.

"I took Raya's crystal to the Fortress for safe keeping. I tried to talk to Jor-El, thank him for saving Lois, but he wouldn't ... he wouldn't answer. The Fortress is dead." Clark's expression changed from concerned to sad. "Everything's changing. Dad's gone. I can't talk to Lex. Lana's... I don't know where to go from here."

"I didn't either when I was your age. Just follow your heart... and you'll always do the right thing."

"Maybe some Kryptonians believed the same thing. Jor-El sacrificed himself trying to save Krypton. Raya died saving me."

"Every world needs its heroes, Clark. They inspire us to be better than we are." Clark looked at her. "And they protect us from the darkness that's just around the corner."

-º-

Lois was discharged from the hospital one day later. Once taking a shower and changing clothes in her apartment, she headed to the farm. "Hey, Mrs. K."

Martha frowned at her. "Lois, what are you doing here? I thought we agreed you wouldn't get back until next week."

"Relax, Mrs. K. I'm not here as your Chief of Staff, I'm just visiting. Besides, I'm feeling great, better than ever."

"You still won't get back to work. I can handle things by myself for a week."

Lois shrugged. "So, where's Smallville?"

"He's sleeping. He stayed all night cleaning up the barn."

"I bet so." She sighed. "Since Chloe is working, I guess I'll have to go to the Crater Lake alone. I need a sunbath ASAP."

Martha gave her a smile. "Have fun."

Lois kissed her goodbye. "I will."

-º-

Clark had spent all the nights of the week cleaning Metropolis. He had took it as his responsability. The problem was, he was also feeling more worn out as the days went by. Martha tried to make him to take a break, but he dismissed her concerns saying he was fine.

Clark was in the barn, fixing some steps of the stairs. His nose was growing irritated, his face was covered with sweat. And then Clark sneezed, the air expelled from it so strong that it blew the barn door of its hinges and into the sky. His face was filled with shock.

Lois was out jogging. Suddenly, she superspeeded to the next road. The barn door that Clark blew fell next to the spot she was before, unbeknown to her.

Lois looked at her body and the place around her, shocked. "What the hell?"

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Clark was sitting in the kitchen checking his temperature with a thermometer in his mouth. Martha was also there, filling a mug with tea for him.

"Clark, was that the first time you ever sneezed?" She asked.

"Mm-hmm, and the first time I've had a scratchy throat with my ears all plugged up." He took the thermometer out of his mouth and checked it. "98.1."

Martha grabbed the thermometer and checked it, too. "No fever." She was finishing the tea with lemon and honey.

"I'm no doctor, but it seems like it's just a commom cold." Clark grabbed a tissue to clean his hands.

"You're far from commom, Clark. I don't remember you're ever even having the sniffles."

"I've never pushed myself so far into overdrive before."

"You know you said when you were in that zone, your powers were gone. That means your immune system was normal. You could have been exposed to something there."

Clark gave her a half smile. "Whatever it is, I'm not really that sick." Martha handed him the mug.

Lois suddenly entered through the kitchen door and headed straight to the living room, sitting on the couch and staring blankly at the wall. Clark and Martha looked puzzled at her.

"Lois, sweetie, are you okay?" Martha asked.

Lois didn't answer, her mind was did happened to her? How could she super run like that? Was she going crazy?

Clark approached her. "Lois, is everything alright?"

Maybe she was hallucinating, maybe the medications that the doctor prescribed were causing it. It sound plausible in her mind and she was going with that.

Lois finally looked at Clark and Martha. "Yeah, I am." She got up. "Don't worry, Smallville." She then punched him in the arm, heading to the frigde next to grab a bottle of water.

"Ow." Clark looked surprised when Lois's punch actually hurt him. And since Lois hadn't superpowers, not that he knew of, it proved in his mind that he was definitely sick. He then took a sip of tea and sniffled.

Lois saw it and smirked at him. "Uh-oh, does Clarky have the sniffles?"

Clark shot her a look.

"It's just a little cold," Martha spoke, chuckling uncomfortably.

Clark was growing annoyed.

"Lucky for you, I have the perfect remedy, honey and a little bit of cayenne pepper. Works every time." She started looking for the cayenne pepper. "First it makes you sneeze a bunch of times, but then I swear you're pretty much cured."

Clark and Martha looked worried. "Lois, I'll pass," he said.

"I think we're all out of cayenne, Lois," Martha tried to throw her off.

"No, you're not," Lois grabbed the cayenne and showed it to Martha. "I'm just gonna whip up a little bit of something here." She then looked through the window, surprised. "Where did your barn door go? It was here late last night when I came to drop off the documents, and now it's gone."

Clark stood beside her, looking through the window. "Uh… Err… It fell today. The Earthquake… It damaged the door."

"Oh, that explains it."

Clark breathed a sigh of relief.

Later that day, Clark, with Chloe's help, found out that his cold was actually a new ability he had developed.

-º-

Chloe and Jimmy were having breakfast in the kitchen of the apartment above the Talon, where Chloe had moved in after the Dark Thursday, the mess that Zod caused, until her university recover from the destruction after it.

Lois then left the bedroom, still wearing her pajamas. "Good morning, Chlo."

Chloe frowned at her. "Rough night?"

"Barely managed to sleep." Lois grabbed a pancake from her cousin's plate and eat it. "Do you remember that palace of ice I told you about? I'm having those dreams about it," she said with food still in her mouth.

Chloe gulped. "What… What exactly?"

"It doesn't make sense. Mrs. K is talking to it, and the ice palace is actually answering her. Something about saving the world, Zod something…"

"Good thing it's just a dream," Chloe said, giving her a nervous smile.

Lois then realized there was a third person in the room. He was standing next to Chloe, somehow afraid of her. "I presume you're the bastard who screw my baby cuz."

Jimmy froze, his eyes opened wider in fear.

Lois laughed, followed by Chloe. "Relax, bowling man, I'm just messing with you. Nice to finally meet you. I'm Lois, I'm sure Chloe told you about me." She extended her hand.

Jimmy shook it and smiled uncomfortably. "I'm Jimmy. Yes, she di… Did. You're exactly like she described."

"Don't believe in her, I'm a lovely person."

"After two cup of coffee, three donuts, and a fight with Clark," Chloe intervened in.

Lois glared at her.

"So, Chloe told me you're Chief of Staff of Senator Martha Kent," Jimmy said.

"Yeah, but I don't have intention to follow this career." She took another pancake out of Chloe's plate.

Chloe looked at Jimmy. "She's clearly talented for journalism, but refuses to admit that."

Lois rolled her eyes.

"Wait a minute, I know why your name sounded familiar to me. You wrote some articles for the newspaper Chloe had in her school. They were really good," Jimmy spoke.

"Thanks, I guess," Lois smiled shyly.

"You know, I've been working at the Daily Planet for a few years and I know some people, I could arrange you a internship there."

"I dropped college," Lois dismissed him.

"That's okay, they pay education for whom they see potential, which you clearly have."

"I'll think about, okay?" Lois grabbed one more pancake and the newspaper and headed to the living room, sitting on the couch.

"Thanks for trying," Chloe smiled at Jimmy and gave him a quick kiss.

"Ugh," Lois scowled.

-º-

Lois was in the kitchen of the farmhouse typing on her laptop, nervously. Since the superspeed incident, she had been experiencing new abilities. Although she hadn't superspeeded since that day, she was getting stronger, really strong. Yesterday the remote control fell under the couch, and when she tried to lift it a little, she easily lifted it over her head as if it was a tissue. Stunned, she then started lifting TV, frigde, and bed, all of them as easily as the couch. The day before it, she started to see skeletons walking around the streets. She was definitely not hallucinating.

There was a knock on the door, which Lois only realized the second time. She then got up and answered the door. There was a tall, blond, and handsome man. They gazed at each other, mesmerized. "Hey," she greeted, smiling.

He smiled back. "Hi." He tried to hand her an envelope, but she didn't move.

Lois' eyes kept focused on his face and body. Too focused. Her eyes started to heat and glowing red. Suddenly, it shot fire beams, hitting the man's shirt, setting it on fire instantly. Lois closed her eyes and stepped away from him, feeling slightly pain.

"Oh," the man opened his eyes in shock, quickly removing the burning shirt and the jacket he was wearing, leaving his chest bare.

Martha came down the stairs after smelling smoke. "Oh, my God, what happened?"

"My shirt started to catch on fire out of nowhere," the man said, breathing heavily. He then looked at Lois. "Hey, are you okay? Did it hurt you?"

"No, I'm fine." She finally opened her eyes, shocked to see she almost hurt him. "I'm sorry, Mrs. K, I gotta go. I'm sorry." She then grabbed her purse and left the house.

Both Martha and and the man looked confused at Lois's sudden exit. Martha then looked at him. "My son probably has a shirt that fits you. I'll grab it for you, Mr…?"

He extended his hand. "Oliver Queen."

She shook it. "Oh, I was expecting you Mr. Queen. I'm Martha Kent. I'll just grab a shirt for you and then we can discuss the financial support you offered to my platform. Make yourself at home."

Oliver smiled at her. "Thank you."

-º-

After half an hour, Lois got home. She throw her purse on the floor and looked herself in the mirror. She hadn't change since she saw herself this morning, not even the incident at the farm changed her, but she didn't feel like herself. She didn't recognize that person in the mirror.

Lois then sat on the couch, lots of thoughts took over her mind. After a a couple of minutes she stopped fighting the tears that threatened to fall since she got into her car, she let it all out. She was feeling alone at the moment.

Calming down several minutes later, Lois started debating whether she should tell someone about what happened or not. After two hours, she dialed Chloe's number. "Hello, Chlo?"

"Lois?"

"Hey, can I talk to you, in person?"

"Is it urgent? Because I'm investigating a really important case with Jimmy and Clark right now."

"No," Lois was disappointed, but was quick to cover it with an enthusiastic tone. "Good luck on your front page article."

"Yeah, right," Chloe wasn't so sure about that. "I'll see you later. Bye."

"Bye."

Lois thought if this wasn't a sign that she should do it by herself, like so many other things she did in life. But she also wanted unload all of her worries to somebody. She was completely lost.

-º-

It was evening when Lois parked at the farm. She had decided she needed someone to give her support in this. Someone she knew that wouldn't look at her differently and that she could count on.

Lois knocked on the door, being promptly answered by Martha. "Lois, hey, I was worried about you."

Lois looked at the clothes Martha was wearing, a costume, disappointment again appearing on her face. "Oh, you're going to Lex's charite costume ball. This isn't a good time."

When she turned to leave, Martha grabbed her hand. "I always have time for you. Come in." Lois smiled shyly at her.

After both of them sat on the couch, and Martha handed Lois a cup of coffee, the older woman spoke. "So, tell me, what happened today? Why did you left like that?" Her voice was filled with concern.

Lois averted her eyes. "It was a lot more complicated than that."

"I realized that. You've been acting weird since last week, it's like your mind is somewhere else. I'm worried about you, honey."

Lois looked at Martha, her eyes showing sadness. "I'm worried about me, too. Lately, strange things has been happening to me. I don't know how this happening, and believe me, I didn't want it to happen to me –"

"What is it, Lois?"

Tears started to appear on Lois's eyes. "I think I'm a meteor freak."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"What?" Martha's eyes was wide-open, completely in shock at Lois's revelation.

"I've been developing those powers," Lois said, downcast. "I don't know what to do."

Still trying to process the information, Martha held Lois's hand. "I'm here for you, Lois." She smiled when Lois looked at her.

Lois smiled back and wiped the tears coming out of her eyes. "Thank you." Lois then hugged Martha, staying that way for a couple of minutes.

When they pulled away, Martha pushed a strand of hair behind Lois's ear. "Feel better now?"

Lois nodded.

"When all of this started?"

"Ever since I left the hospital, I guess. I've been feeling stronger, healthier, you know. And then one day I just woosh," Lois said, gesturing the last part with her hands. "I ran really fast."

Martha's eyes opened wider in realization.

"After that, I started lifting things, heavy things, so easily. Look." Lois got up and then lift the couch with Martha still sitting on it.

Martha gulped.

She put the couch back on the floor and sat again. "I also started to see the skeletons of the people, like I had x-ray or something. I'm pretty sure I'll never get to sleep after that." Lois continued. "But the worst part of this nightmare happened this morning. Remember that really hot guy from this morning and his burning shirt? You'll never guess it. I did it. I burnt the guy's shirt. I almost burnt the guy, which would be a shame since he was really cute. Anyway, I think I did it with my eyes. They started heating and only stopped when that guy's shirt started to catch fire."

Martha was quiet, the expression on her face still showing shock, her mind elsewhere trying to figure out how it happened to Lois.

Lois looked puzzled. "It'd be really nice of you if you say anything."

Martha focused her attention back to Lois. "I… Uh… Are you feeling okay? I mean, any side effects so far?"

"None. But considering what happens to the meteor freaks in this town, I'm afraid I'm going mad like them," she gave a nervous laugh.

"I'll not let that happened to you, okay?" Matha then took a deep breath. "Do you trust me?"

"With my life."

Martha smiled. "Don't tell anybody else about it or go to a doctor until we figure things out, do you hear me?" Lois nodded. "I promise we'll find out what is happening to you."

Tears threatened to fall from Lois's eyes again. "You're the best Mrs. K."

They hugged. Out of Lois sight, Martha's face changed to worried.

-º-

Martha was pacing from one side to the other in the kitchen anxiously, the phone in her hand, when Clark entered the house. "Clark! Where have you been? I've been trying to call you all night."

"I had a problem to take care of, a criminal that escaped from the Phantom Zone when I did."

"Oh, my God! Are you okay? Did you stop it?"

"Yeah, I defeated her. But I'm afraid more phantoms escaped from there." Clark then looked at her clothes. "Weren't you supposed to be at Lex's party?"

"We have bigger problems now, sweetie."

Clark frowned. "What is it?"

"Remember that Jor-El saved Lois when our plane went down and she was severely hurt?" He nodded. "Jor-El did more than just heal her, he gave her powers."

Clark's eyes opened wider. "Uh… Err… Are you sure?"

"Lois thinks she is infected by meteors, but she has the same powers as yours, Clark." She pointed to the couch. "I was sitting on that couch when Lois lifted it with one hand."

Clark gasped. "But why would Jor-El give her powers? What would he gain with it?"

"I don't know. Only he can answer it." Martha crossed her arms in a worried manner. "Lois is scared, it's something beyond her comprehension. I'm scared, too, honey, your father's heart weakened because of these powers, we can't let that happened to Lois, too."

Clark put a hand on her arm. "I'm going to talk to Jor-El."

"Isn't the Fortress dead?"

"It can't be. Not now."

Clark superspeeded out of the house, while Martha took a deep breath trying to calm down.

-º-

"Jor-El!" Clark shouted his father's name as he arrived at the Fortress of Solitude. "Jor-El, what did you do to Lois? What's your game this time?"

There was no answer. The place was dark, not even the usual hostility it emanates could be felt anymore.

"Are you really dead or is it just your way to ignore me because I didn't do what you ordered me to?" Clark angered. "Do you wanna kill Lois like you did to my father to teach me a lesson, is that it?"

Frustated, Clark kicked some crystals, breaking it. He sighed and then left.

-º-

"Any luck with Jor-El?" Martha asked as Clark entered the door kitchen.

"No."

Martha put both of her hands over her head. "What are we going to do? We can't let Lois keep thinking she is a meteor-infected."

"We can't exactly say she's kryptonian either. I'm not sure about what Jor-El did to her."

"Clark, I know you always had a problem with telling people your secret and whether or not they'll accept you, but it's not the time for that. Lois's life may be in danger."

"Me and Lois may not be always in the best terms, but I'd never risk her life to protect my secret, mom. What I'm saying is that if I tell her I'm kryptonian, and then tell her she may be kryptonian because of my father, she may turn her back on us. And could we really blame her if she did it?"

Martha sighed. "You may be right." She took a deep breath. "What are you going to do now?"

"Talk to Lois."

"What are you going to say to her without revealing who you are? She won't be happy that you're minding her business, especially when she trusted me with this secret."

"How's that any different from our talks every day?" Clark gave her a half-smile. "Sometimes I think I irritate her just by saying 'hi.'"

Martha chuckled. "Maybe I should talk to her instead."

"No, that's something I need to do. If someone understands the pressure that comes with those powers it's me. Whether we like it or not, me and Lois are going to spend a lot of time together from now on."

Martha gave him a warm smile. "Good luck."

-º-

Clark knocked on the door of the apartment above the talon. He was breathing heavily, still not sure how to proceed with the revelation that Lois had now powers like his.

Lois answered it, smiling at him. "Smallville, hey! I'm sorry but Chloe is not here. She called from the hospital saying she was going to stay the night there with Jimmy."

"Actually, I came to talk to you," he said as he entered the apartment. He was surprised when he saw there was a third person there, dressed in a Robin Hood costume.

"Smallville, Oliver Queen. Oliver, Clark Kent," Lois introduced them.

"Hey," Oliver greeted. They shook hands. "You're Martha Kent's son, right? Thanks for the t-shirt, by the way. Although blue kind of isn't my thing."

"What?" Clark looked puzzled.

Lois looked at the floor, hiding the guilty on her face.

"My shirt started to burn suddenly this morning and your mother then borrow me one of your shirts."

Clark looked at Lois and then realization downed on him. "You're welcome. The important thing is that you're fine and nothing bad happened to you." He then cleared his throat. "Uh, could you leave me and Lois alone?"

"Oh, you came here to ask her out, too?" Oliver asked, jokingly.

Both Clark and Lois raised an eyebrow at Oliver. "He'd have to learn to dress first for this to ever happen. And, you know, be a completely different person," she said, smirking.

"It's really nice to see that Lois has found someone who can overlook her personality," he smirked back.

"Oh, don't worry about it, Clark. If I lived under the same roof with such a beautiful woman, I probably would've mask my feelings in sarcasm, too," Oliver chuckled. He then went to the table to grab the hat of his costume.

Lois chuckled, a little uncomfortable. "Feelings?"

Clark angered. "Feelings?"

"A little advice, Freud Jr., there... Stick with your day job," Lois said to Oliver.

"Good advise, I have to wake up early tomorrow morning." Oliver grabbed her hand and lifted it to his lips, kissing it. "I'll see you at the fundriser party at Lexcorp. Night."

"Night," she said, smiling tenderly at him.

"Nice to meet you, Clark."

"Likewise."

Oliver then left the apartment.

"Are you seriously going out with that guy?"

Lois grew annoyed and crossed her arms. "None of your business. What do you want?"

Clark took a deep breath. "How are you feeling?"

She pressed her back against the countertop. "Fine. Why?"

"Haven't you feel any different?"

Lois looked suspiciously at him. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I… We almost lost you two weeks ago. I feel like we should try to be better friends, hang out more."

"Somehow I'm not buying it."

"I'm serious. I want you to feel you can count on me anytime."

Lois pondered his commentary, trying to figure out what he was really trying to say. She then opened her eyes in realization. "Your mother told you about me."

"Lois –"

"I can't believe it. I thought I could trust her and she does that to me," she said, pissed off.

"Lois, I can help you."

"If I wanted your help, I'd ask you personally."

Clark placed his hands on her arms. "Stop! I'm your friend, let me help you."

Lois pushed off his hands and headed to the door, opening it. "Get out! I'll deal with it on my own. Tomorrow I'll start looking for a doctor that can cure me."

"You don't understand –"

She raised her voice. "Get out!"

Clark crossed his arms. "I'm not leaving until you listen to me."

"Looks like your mother forgot to mention I'm stronger now. I'll make you leave." She reached his arm and tried to push him out of the apartment, in vain. He then grabbed her hand, making it impossible for her to move it. "What –"

"I'm strong, too, Lois," Clark said, a little nervous.

Lois gasped in surprise. "Are you –"

"No." He took a deep breath. "But the powers you're starting to develop now, I've been developing them my whole life." He took another breath. "Not because of the meteor rocks. It's because I'm from the same place they are. I'm not from here, Lois, I'm from a different planet."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"You're... You're an alien?!" Lois spoke, shocked. She freed herself after he eased his grip of her arms.

"I prefer intergalactic traveler," he said, smiling shyly. Her expression was making him feel unease, though.

Lois was breathing heavily, her mind with thousands of thoughts. She looked at him, from the head to the feet. She then laughed. "You're just kidding. Really funny, Smallville."

She looked at his face not following her laugh. "You're kidding, right?" He lowered his head and shook it, looking at her with sad eyes next. Her heart was beating really fast. "Oh, my God! I need to sit."

After Lois sat on the couch, Clark followed her and did the same. "I'm sorry," he said. "Telling you the truth about me in a situation such as this."

"I didn't expect that. I'm feeling like I'm going crazy." Lois took a deep breath. "What's happening to me? Am I an alien like you? How?"

Clark gulped. "I don't know exactly. But I need you to listen to me, okay?"

"It's not like I have much of a choice, have I? Go on."

"My birth name is Kal-El. I'm from a planet called Krypton, my real parents, Jor-El and Lara, sent me to Earth before the planet exploded."

"Your home planet exploded? Wow." She looked at him with an apologetic look. "Is that too late to say I'm sorry?"

"It's okay, I was actually an infant when it happened."

She put her hand over his. "Still, you must probably feel lonely being the only survivor."

He nodded. "After my spaceship launched into space, it took me around two or three years to reach Earth. Jonathan and Martha found me on a field the day the meteor shower happened. Years later I found out it was actually fragments from my planet."

"Martha and Jonathan then decided to raise me, even after I started developing powers. They loved me like I was their biological son, they teached me how to control my powers, they were my strength when I felt weak."

Lois gave him a warm smile. "I always thought they were amazing. But this… This makes me admire them even more."

Clark placed his hand over Lois's, his face turned serious. "My mother loves you, Lois. She didn't know the consequences, all she cared about was to save you."

"What are you saying?"

"The palace of ice you talked about at the hospital wasn't an hallucination. It was my Fortress of Solitude, a legacy from my home planet. My father, the A.I. version of him, resides there to guide me in a journey I'm not exactly what it's about."

"Lois, you didn't just had hypothermia. When the LuthorCorp jet went down, a metal perforated your stomach, you were on the verge of dying. My mother asked Jor-El to save you, but something happened and changed you."

Lois put a hand over her stomach, trying to remember that pain, in vain. She looked at him, worried. "What happened?"

"I don't know. I went to talk to Jor-El, but… He's gone since the Dark Thursday."

She opened her eyes in realization. "Oh, my God! The dreams I've been having, they're not dreams at all. It really happened. Martha talking to Jor-El, about saving the world from Zod. It was about you, wasn't it?"

"Do you remember what happened?" Clark asked, surprised.

"Mostly the voices. What happened exactly on the Dark Thursday, Clark?"

"Zod, the man responsible for the destruction of Krypton, escaped the prison where he was being held –"

"So you're not the only survivor of Krypton?"

"The other survivors are all criminals that were banished from the planet before it exploded. There was this girl Raya, though. She was an assistant of my father, who was the greatest scientist of Krypton. He sent her there, the Phantom Zone, to give her a chance to survive from Krypton's destruction. She was a good person –"

"Was?"

"She died trying to send me back to Earth."

"I'm sorry."

"It's the sin of my heritage." Lois opened her mouth to say something, but closed it again. "Anyway, Brainiac, the artificial intelligence created by my father and corrupted by Zod, managed to release him. Zod took over Lex's body and started his plan to destroy Earth and repopulate it with kryptonians. I was supposed to kill Lex, but I couldn't."

"Of course you wouldn't. You're too good to do something like that." She blushed at the warm smile he was giving to her. "I mean, everyone knows that."

Clark continued. "I tried to find another way to end this by destroying Brainiac, but I ended up helping him freeing Zod and then I was sent to the Phantom Zone. Meanwhile, Brainiac planned to hurt me even more by killing you both, but at least I saved you two when I destroyed Brainiac and all his copies. Jor-El then made sure you two didn't die on the plane crash."

"When I escaped the Phantom Zone, I defeated Zod with Raya's help, sending him back to there and freeing Lex."

"You saved the day and took zero credit for it. It's amazing."

"It was still my fault, Lois. If I wasn't here, they wouldn't attack Earth."

"Well, screw that. People are evil because they are evil. You all have those powers, but while they want to conquer, you want a better world, isn't that right?"

He nodded. "That means you're not angry at me or my mother for what's happening to you?"

Lois got up and started pacing. "I don't know how to feel about it. The powers I have now, I mean. But your mother saved me, it's impossible to be mad at her."

Clark looked at her, worry in his eyes. "What about me? And I don't mean just about my heritage affecting you. Are you okay with me being from a different planet? Are you mad at me for not telling the truth sooner?"

Lois hesitated. "I think you're a wonderful person, Clark. You're the most selfless person I know, and the fact you're an alien –"

"Interga –"

"Intergalactic traveler won't change that. But it's so many revelations running through my head, I can't quite process it all."

"I get it." Clark bite his lip. "Just, please, let me help you. Be there for you. What's happening to you, it is my –"

"It's not your fault."

"Then at least let me help you as a superpowered fellow. It'll make you feel better." Clark got up and approached her. "Look, I know you're a strong-willed person, but I also know how much those powers can isolate even the most confident person. When I was growing up, the thing I wished the most was someone who could relate to me, who could help me get through this. My parents were great, I guarantee you, but they couldn't understand my fear of hurting anyone who approached me or my nightmares that someday they would realized how dangerous I was and would abandon me."

Silence took over the room, they kept looking at each other, both their eyes showing pain. Lois broke the eye contact and then cleared her throat. "So, what powers comes with this set?"

Clark took a step back and put his hands in his pockets, clearing his throat next. "Super strength, super speed, heat vision, invulnerability, x-ray vision, super hearing, and artic breath. I can also heal, read and make calculations really fast, and take super leaps. Kryptonians also have the ability of flight. Our power comes from the sun –"

"Wait a minute, can I fly?"

"I don't know. I… I didn't develop this power yet."

"Shame. I could use some of it." She paused. "Who else knows about you? Chloe knows?"

He nodded. "She found out last year. Lionel and my friend Pete also know."

"Lionel? Why? How?"

"Jor-El used Lionel as a vessel. I can't say I completely trust him, but he's on our side, Lois."

"If you say so." She sat on the couch again, crossing her legs. "You and Lana, you two have been in this on and off thing for so long and you haven't told her yet?"

"It's complicated."

"Sounds pretty easy to understand to me. You didn't tell her because you're afraid she'll reject you. In the process, you lost her to Lex."

"Her parents died in the meteor shower. Because of me."

Lois crossed her arms. "Again with this? You can't control what happens around you. You were a child sent here by your biological parents, you didn't know what was happening around you. If she loves you, she'll understand that."

"I told her once, you know what happened? She died."

She frowned. "When did this happen?"

Clark avoided to look at her. "The day my father died."

"What? You're not making any sense, and it says a lot in a night like this."

Clark sighed. "Forget it."

Lois saw the pain in his eyes and decided to let it go. "It's late, you should go."

He looked at her. "Lois…"

"I just need some time to clear my head, decide what I'm going to do. I'll call you."

"Okay," Clark said, heading to the door.

"Clark, I'd appreciate if you don't tell Chloe about me. I prefer to tell her on my own terms."

He nodded and opened the door. "Good night."

"Night."

Clark then left.

Lois released the breath she was holding. She sat on the floor of the living and crossed her arms for self-comfort. She looked up at the ceiling and sighed. What was she going to do?

-º-

Clark got home. Martha was sitting on the couch waiting for him. She got up when she saw him coming. "How did it go?" She asked.

"Better than I expected. She just need some time alone now."

"Is she mad at me?"

"No. I don't think there's anything in this world that would make her turn against you," Clark smiled at her.

Martha smiled, relieved. "I'm glad." She studied him. "How did she take the fact that you're not from this world."

"She didn't freak out, and that's it. She had a lot of things going on her head to this fact really sink in."

"She'll come around."

"I hope so." He leaned in to kiss her cheek. "I'm going to bed. Good night."

"Good night, sweetie."

Clark climbed the stairs as his mother watched him. Martha was worried about Lois, she wanted to call and comfort her, but she knew Lois needed to figure things out by herself now.

-º-

Two days had passed since Clark revealed his origins to Lois. She hadn't make any calls to them yet, but Chloe had told Clark that she hadn't leave the apartment the entire time. Lois hadn't told her cousin yet about what was happening to her, but the blonde was starting to wonder about the strange way she was acting lately. Clark tried to cover for Lois, telling Chloe that her cousin was just worried about a big meeting Martha was about to have in a few weeks.

After spending the morning working around the farm, Clark entered the house. His mother was working on a few papers. "Any call from Lois?" He asked as he grabbed a bottle of water on the frigde.

"No. I'm getting worried, Clark. What if she decides to leave town without telling us?"

"Me too. But we have to trust that she'll understand that she needs help."

"Did you warn her about about the danger of those powers, that it weakened your father's heart?"

"I was going to, but… But I didn't have the courage to tell her the whole story."

"Clark…"

"I know. I won't hesitate next time."

There was a knock on the door, Martha answered it. When she opened the door, there was Lois, visibly uncomfortable. "Hi, Mrs. K."

"Lois!" Martha smiled at her. Clark looked at the newcomer and smiled, too.

"Uh, can I come in?"

Martha frowned at her shyness but didn't say anything. "Of course."

"Hi," she greeted Clark.

"Hi."

Lois looked at Martha again. "Look, Mrs. K, I just want you to know that I'm grateful for everything you've done for me. The fact you cares that much about me matters more than any consequences I may suffer. And I don't blame you, ever."

Tears started to appear on Martha's eyes. "Oh, Lois." She then hugged her.

After pulling away, Lois looked at Clark again, breathing heavily. Clark was doing the same. Martha realized the tension in the room. "I'll leave you two alone."

"No, Mrs. K, you can stay," Lois said.

"Don't worry, honey. I'll be upstairs if you need me."

Lois nodded. She watched as Martha climbed the stairs.

Clark took a deep breath. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine. Spending an entire day alone helps to clear anyone's mind."

"Good, I was getting worried."

"I tried to get drunk, to forget it all. I drank all kinds of drinks with alcohol. Nothing, it didn't affect me the least. It's gonna be like this from now on, isn't it?"

He nodded. "So… Do you… Are we good? Are you okay with me, knowing who I really am?"

Lois chuckled. "What, a farm boy with poor sense of fashion? You may not told me about your origins, but you never hid from me who you really are. You are a good guy and a good friend. Well, sometimes. My point is you're still Smallville to me… Kal-El." She started to laugh. "I'm sorry, this name is really weird."

Clark grinned at her good mood.

"What I have to come to terms with is the fact I'm different now. I don't know for how long, I don't know if it's permanent, all I know is that I have to accept it for now. And I need help from someone who understands this. Will you help me, Smallville?" She extended her hand, she was trembling a little.

He took it and smiled at her. "You can count on me, Lois."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Lois and Clark were standing out in a field of the farm, away from the house and the barn. Promptly after Lois accepted Clark's offer to help, they decided to go out to help her to control her new abilities.

"Alright, Lois. First rule, don't overuse your powers. You may not feel it right now because your body is powered, but once you're back to normal, there's a risk it could affect your healthiness. That happened to my father, our objective here is to avoid it to happen to you. Do you understand me?"

"Loud and clear, master El."

"Seriously?" Clark sighed, already starting to regret his offer.

"Hey, this is the way I was raised," she said, a smug smile visible on her face. "Always use respectful manners with your teacher."

"Then why have you never used it before?"

"I'm using it now, master El."

Clark shook his head. "Whatever." He approached the scarecrow he put there when they arrived here. "Let's work with your most dangerous power first. Heat vision."

"I'm listening."

"Focus your eyes on this scarecrow. You'll learn when to activate it to avoid incidents like the one with Oliver from ever happening again."

Lois blushed. "God, that's so embarrassing."

"Don't worry, you're not the first."

"Who activated yours?"

"I won't tell you."

"Let me guess, did it involve a pretty brunette?"

"Still not talking about it."

Lois ruffled. "Fine." Lois stood in front of the scarecrow, her eyes focused on it. She waited, and waited, and then sighed. "Nothing."

"Okay, let's try this. You… Uh… Think about a person you find attractive."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Do I look like a horndog to you?"

"Lois… No. Look, it'll just help you, okay?"

"You know what would help me? The teacher sharing past experiences with his student. That would help."

Clark crossed his arms. "Do you really want to know for learning or you just wanna to mock me?"

"We're bonding here, Clark. It's important we get to know what each other had been through," she said, trying to sound as sincerely as possible.

Clark looked at her suspiciously, and then nodded. "My biology teacher. She was very attract… Attractive, and I started to feel hot… Err… And then I set the projector screen on fire."

Lois tried to resist the urge to laugh, but she couldn't. She laughed, very loud. Clark's cheeks reddened in embarrassment. "Typical," she mocked.

"What happened to all the boding talk?"

"Oh, we're bonding alright!" She kept laughing.

Clark grew annoyed. "Stop wasting time and just do it, Lois."

Her laugh stopped at his raised voice. "As you wish, master El."

Clark sighed again.

She positioned in front of the scarecrow. "I still don't know how to do it. I mean, I may found Oliver hot and all, but I'm gonna need way more than that to feel hot."

Clark pondered it. "Try to think about things that excite you. A celebrity, your first time, a kiss you had. Things you like that... Uh… Would tamper with your hormones."

Lois nodded and close her eyes and tried to do that. She thought about Oliver again, she was interested in him, but it still wasn't enough to trigger her heat vision. Her thoughts went to David Coverdale, her teenage crush, but the hair and wrinkles quickly turned her off. Her first time was all kinds of awkward and the kisses, although she had good ones in her life, weren't that memorable. She was almost giving up when her eyes opened and the scarecrow bursted into flames.

Lois's smiled widely. "Ha, I did it!"

Clark smiled, too. "That's great. What did you think of?"

"Monster trucks."

"What?" Clark looked puzzled.

"I thought about monster trucks. There's actually a new rally this Friday that I want to go."

"That doesn't make any sense."

Lois put her hands on both sides of her waist. "It worked, didn't it?"

Clark shook his head, chuckling. "You're a mystery to me, Lois." He looked around and then at her. "Okay, next power is easy to nail. Can you run?"

"What kind of question is –" Clark raised an eyebrow at her. "Oh. Yeah, I did it only once."

"You just need focus. See that tree over there? Watch me." He superspeeded to a tree several meters away from them. "Your turn," he yelled from there.

Lois started to run, but at human speed. "C'mon, Lois. Focus," she told herself. She increased her speed and then she finally managed to do it at super speed. She didn't count to pass through the spot Clark was, though.

She kept running through the woods and roads of Smallville. "Where's the turn off button of this thing?" Lois only stopped when a hand grabbed hers.

"Running away already, Lois?" He smirked.

Lois shot him a look. "I hate this power."

"No, you don't. You just need practice. Now," Clark started to step away from her, a smile spread across his face. "Follow me." He ran at a considerably low speed.

Lois took that as a challenge. Happiness took over her mind and body as she outran Clark. He increased his speed and in a couple of milliseconds was already at her side. They ran as fast as they could, looking at each other and grinning like two innocent kids.

Lois reached the scarecrow first, but was taken by surprise when Clark kept running. "Hey!" She ran after him.

Clark stopped at the barn, followed by Lois. "What are we doing here?" She asked.

"Your next task. X-ray vision."

A smile curved on Lois's lips. "Okay." She looked at him, from the head to the feet.

Clark frowned at her. "What are you doing?"

"I gotta say, Smallville, you have a very impressive… Body."

"What…" His eyes opened widely and he then grabbed a tool box and put it in front of the most intimate part of his body.

Lois laughed. "I'm just kidding." Clark let go of the tool box. "Maybe."

He put the tool box in front of his body again.

"Oh, please, it's not like I haven't seen it before."

Clark looked annoyed. Seeing the smug smile on her face, he decided to play her game. "You have a great body, too."

Lois raised an eyebrow at the way he was looking at her. "You're bluffing."

"Am I? It's not like you have a very particular birthmark, right?"

Lois gulped, crossing her arms in a slightly protective manner. "I still think you're bluffing."

"I may or may not. It's not like I haven't seen you naked before, right?" The smug smile on his face was growing by the second.

Lois tried to cover her intimate parts with her arms and hand. "Stop it."

"I'm just kidding." Lois sighed in relief. "Maybe."

She glared at him.

Clark turned his back to her, his lips curved in a self-satisfied smile. "Alright. I'll grab some objects and hide it. You'll have to find them with your x-ray vision." He climbed the stair of the barn.

Lois chuckled. "You'd be a damn good elementary school teacher."

Clark chuckled at her remark. After picking three objects and hiding them in the loft of the barn, he descended the stairs. "Okay, I hid a baseball, a lead box, and an octagonal disc. Remember, focus only in the ability you want to activate."

He watched as Lois climbed the stairs and closed her eyes, concentrating on the task. Her face was calm, determined. Despite the hard time she was giving him, he admired her ability to smile in such a difficult situation, her most powerful and human one. He was pleased with himself for helping her, being a good friend to her. He even felt some sort of enchantment for her, which he was quick to dismiss.

Lois opened her eyes, happy that she managed to control her x-ray vision. She looked around and first found the baseball in the desk drawer. Next was the lead box, she found it under the couch. "I can't see inside the box. What is in it?"

"Don't open it, Lois. Once you find the octagonal disc, bring it and the lead box to me."

"Got it." She started looking for octagonal key, without success. "Damn, Smallville, where did you hide this?"

"You have powers, Lois. Use it."

Lois rolled her eyes. "Big help. Thanks." She looked around the loft again, more carefully this time, until she saw it, behind the bookcase. "Found it." She went down the stairs holding it and the lead box, looking puzzled at the octagonal piece. "What the hell is this?"

Clark took the disc out of her hand. "This is the key to my Fortress."

"Oh. And how this works?"

"The Kawatche Caves. There's a secret chamber there where you put this key and is teleported to the Fortress of Solitude." He offered it to her. "You can use it anytime you want."

Lois looked puzzled. "It's kind of your place."

"Since when does it stop you from taking it over?" Clark said, smiling at her.

She tilted her head. "Thanks, I guess."

Clark put the disc on his pocket and then took the lead box out of Lois's hand. When he opened it, both him and Lois felt a sharp pain. "Oh, my God! What's happening?" She spoke, her hand on her belly.

Clark then closed it, both him and Lois breathing heavily. "It's kryptonite. They, the meteor rocks, they're poisoning to us. They can kill us."

"Then why you keep it here?"

"Because there are other types of meteor rocks as dangerous as this one. Red makes us lose our inhibitions. Silver makes us paranoiac. This one is the only thing that can stop us. There's also the black one that is a variation of the green and can split people in two, usually their bad and good personalities."

"So that's our only weakness?"

"We're also vulnerable to magic."

"That time that woman hypnotized you…"

Clark nodded.

"Guess I'm not that safe even with superpowers."

He gave a little laugh. "I'm sure you find a way to get into trouble."

Lois shot him a look.

"Okay. Let's head back outside."

They stopped halfway through the walk when Clark spotted the truck. "How strong are you?" He asked.

"Very."

Clark looked around to see if there was anyone watching them. The place was clear. "Lift this truck."

Lois smiled, confident. "Piece of cake." She lifted the truck with one hand.

"Now grip the truck with your thumb and your two first fingers."

She did what he told her to do.

"Now with your thumb and first finger."

She did it again.

"Very good." Her smile grew wider at his approval, she was pleased with herself.

They ran back to the field. Clark had his eyes closed, concentrating on the sound around them. "What are you doing?" Lois asked, puzzled.

"Your last lesson for the day. Super hearing. I decided to let this one as your last task of the day because I believe this power is the one that hurts the most to learn."

"What do you mean?"

"You'll see. Close your eyes." She closed her eyes. "Clear your mind, focus on the sounds around you."

Lois started to listen to the sounds, first to the calm breeze of the farm, followed by the singing of the birds. Her hearing went beyond and then she started to listening to the sound of the cars on the road. Then, there were sound of people talking, arguing, and music, all together. She knitted her eyebrows. More sounds entered her ears as she started to hear planes, babies crying, yelling, and gunshot. She put both her hands on her ears, screaming in pain. "Make it stop. Please."

"Lois! Lois!" Clark tried to call her, in vain. He then cupped her face with both his hands, making her to look up. "Hey, look at me! Breath, breath."

She looked into his eyes, breathing heavily. The sounds started to decreased, his voice becoming the main focus of her hearing.

"Feel better?" He asked, concerned.

She nodded. "Yeah, just a little dizzy."

"I think it's better if we stop here for today."

"What? No!"

"I thought –"

"I'm fine, I can do it."

Clark pondered her decision and then nodded. "Okay. But if I notice it's too much for you, I'll stop. Remember, we're doing this to help you to control your powers, not testing your limits."

"I know. Keep going, Yoda."

"Ready? Close your eyes. This time focus on my voice."

Lois closed her eyes, her ears became her main focus again. Her hearing was picking up all the sounds that were tormenting her before. The pain was becoming too much again. She then started to hear Clark's voice. "Are you listening to me, Lois?"

She nodded.

"Good. Now, I'll ask your simple questions and you're gonna answer me, okay?" She nodded. "Your favorite band."

"Whitesnake, duh."

"Favorite hobby."

"Monster trucks."

"Favorite drink."

"Beer."

"Thing that annoys you the most."

She chuckled. "You."

Clark rolled his eyes. "Thanks."

"Anytime, master El."

"You can open your eyes now."

Lois opened and smiled at… No one. Clark wasn't there. "Clark? Clark, where are you?"

"Making a sandwitch," her hearing picked his voice.

"At the house?"

"In a second." He superspeeded to her, a playful smile on his lips. He had a sandwitch in each hands, and then gave one to her. Both of them took a bite.

"Funny, I changed but my hunger is still the same."

"Well, to survive all you need is the sun. But you still taste things, have cravings. You grew up like that, it won't change whether you have superpowers or not."

"Well, works for me. I really like to eat."

"It's really good, indeed." After eating all of his sandwitch, he spoke again. "You were amazing today, I'm really proud of you."

"We're already done? Didn't you mention that other power, super breath or something?"

"Artic breath. I'm still improving it myself."

"Maybe I have this one. C'mon, teach me."

"Fine. Watch me." Clark pointed to the clouds in the sky and started to fill his lungs with air and then blew it. The clouds started to disperse, the sunset visible to them again.

She looked up. "Wow. I don't know what is best, this power or the fact that we can look directly into the sun without sunglasses."

"Uh-huh. Your turn."

She repeated the same movements he did, without success. Her blow was still the same. "Great," she sighed.

He patted her on the back. "Someday." He looked at his watch. "I think that's it for today."

"Oh," there was a disappointment in her voice. The truth was, she was enjoying those lessons and, especially, this time with him. Yes, they've been bickering the whole day, but they're also having fun, learning from each other. She didn't want it to end. "Hey, do you wanna grab a beer?"

Clark frowned at her. "Lois, I'm not really into the whole nightlife scene."

"C'mon, a little fun won't hurt you."

"I don't know. I don't even have the legal age to drink."

Lois gave a little laugh. "If I didn't know already, there's no way I'd find out you are from another planet, Smallville." She put her arm around his shoulder. "Let's go. The first round is on me." They started to walk together.

-º-

"How does that taste?" Lois asked, chuckling at his disgusted face. They were at a bar in the main street of Smallville, sitting on the balcony.

"Bad."

Lois looked at the can in her hand, grimacing. "Yeah, it just isn't the same without the alcohol effect. My Friday nights are ruined."

"Well, we're here for the company not the drinks, anyway," he said, smiling at her.

She smiled back. "Lois and Clark openly friends, who'd thought it. Next thing I know we'll start to work together solving mysteries."

"Uh, Lois, we already did it. That was actually the first thing we did together when you arrived here."

"I meant officially," she replied. "I'm considering applying for journalism."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah, I don't intend to follow career as Chief of Staff and I really need to find my path in life. You guys always praise the articles I wrote for the Torch, so I thought, 'Why not?'"

"Good for you. When do you plan to start it?"

"Once this whole kryptonian thing sink in." She took another sip of her beer. "What about you? No career plans?"

"I don't know. Dropping college may not have been my smartest move."

"Well, if you want a not so biased opinion, you wrote some not bad articles for the Torch."

Clark raised an eyebrow at her. "Are you suggesting I work with you."

"No, of course not. I don't share bylines."

Clark looked suspiciously at her, but chose not to say anything.

She drank the rest of her beer and signaled to the barman for another one. "Two years. We've known each other for two years. The first time I left Smallville, I thought I'd only see you in Chloe's birthday parties."

"Hard to believe in it when we exchanged e-mails every other day."

Lois grinned. "There's a really fun element in busting your balls." The barman handed her another can, which she was quick to open.

Clark took another sip of his beer. "I bet so," he said, giving her a half-smile.

Her face turned serious. "Nonetheless, I'm glad you're in my life."

Clark looked surprised and then smiled. "I'm glad you're in mine, too."

They toasted with their cans. They started to share stories from their childhood, stories like the first time Clark used his superspeed, when he got lost and his parents looked for him the entire day. Lois told him about the first time she tried to start a tank, the despair of her father to try to get her out of there and how he grounded her for one whole month. They laughed at the many stories they told each other. They were happy, thrill to gave found a true friend and a confidant in each other.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

A fundraiser party was happening at the LuthorCorp. Martha, the main reason Lionel was giving this party, was taking a deep breath, trying to contain her nervousness. The fact she was wearing a very expensive necklace wasn't helping, either.

Lionel approached her with a glass of water. "Here you are, my lady."

"Thank you," Martha took the glass of water. She was tapping the necklace uncomfortably. "It's beautiful, but I feel self-conscious even borrowing it." She took a sip of her glass.

"It shouldn't stay hidden in the LuthorCorp safe." He continued after she looked at him, an expression of uncertainty on her face. "It needs to be worn for the very first time on the neck of a beautiful woman. It's perfect, Martha."

She shook her head, blushing at his compliment.

Lionel smiled at her. "But now it's time to meet the moneybags of Metropolis. You'll need them to fund your bid for the United States Senate."

Martha smiled back. They walked together to talk to some guests.

A few meters from there, Lois and Oliver arrived at the party. She was wearing a silk black dress with a generous v-neck and a pearl necklace. Her hair was tied back in a bun, wispy bangs on the front. Oliver was wearing a simple and elegant suit.

"Okay, now, remember, this a party," Oliver said, taking off her scarf and handing it to a waiter.

"I know. I know. Stay away from religion, politics, and bad dye jobs," she smirked.

As they entered the room, someone called him. "Ollie! We haven't seen you in such a long time."

They approached the older man. "Hello," Oliver greeted.

"Hi, Oliver," a woman in her mid-thirties who was next to the older man said, her tone seductive and her eyes practically eating him alive.

"Uh, Mr. Westcott and his wife, Candice. I'd like to introduce you to Lois Lane."

"Hey," Lois smiled and extended her hand with the palm facing downward.

Mr. Westcott grasped it and bowed to kiss her knuckles. "Simon Westcott. It's my pleasure."

"Likewise." Lois exchanged smiles with Oliver and then turned her attention back to the older man. "So, I wanted to tell you that I thought you were so eloquent at the Congressional indictment hearings."

The smile fell from the man's face. Oliver pouted.

"Sorry about your oil tanker. I'd hate to be a pelican in that harbor, huh?" She completed, a little nervous.

At Mr. Westcott shocked look, Oliver spoke. "Well, we're gonna go." He then then lowered his voice. "That's our cue, so…" Oliver walked Lois to a corner of the room. "I guess I forgot to add public humiliation to the list of cocktail-party don'ts."

Lois sighed, chuckling lightheartedly.

Oliver placed both hands on her arms. "I'm gonna go get us a drink, okay?" He then whispered the next part. "You just wait here, and don't talk to anybody, okay?" He gave her tight-lipped smile, receiving one back.

Lois sighed as she watched him leave. She reached into her purse, pulled out her cellphone to check new messages. The most recent one was from Clark.

"How's the party?" He asked.

"Five minutes in and I'm already bored," she replied.

Lois put the cellphone back in her purse as she heard a glass ding sound. It was Lionel. "I'd like to thank you all for coming tonight. I hope you're having a splendid time and that you've had a chance to reconnect with some old friends. Right now, though, I'd like to introduce you to someone who I hope will be a new friend, a valuable new friend, someone I'm sure you'll be glad to have on your side. Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce to you our Kansas State Senator and your future United States Senator, Martha Kent."

The guess applauded. "Whoo-hoo!" Lois cheered.

Martha smiled. "Thank you very much –"

Her speech was interrupted when an arrow hit the interrupter, making the lights go out. A green hooded guy arrived and approached Martha, pulling the necklace out of her neck. He ran out of the room.

"Hey!" Lois ran after the mysterious man.

When the man in a green hood looked up for an escape, a hand grabbed his arm. "Give me the necklace," Lois said, determined.

"You forgot to say 'please.'" He tried to free himself, in vain. "What –"

"Please," a smirk appeared on Lois's face. "Let the Big Bad Wolf better see you." She then lowered his hood. Realization downed on her even before she started to take his sunglasses off. "Oliver!" She said shocked.

Oliver froze. He then gulped. "Lois, I can explain."

Her face changed from utterly shocked to angry. "You –"

Voices could be heard, the security was looking for him. "Lois, I can't talk right now. Take my limousine and meet me at my apartment. I'll explain everything."

"No –"

His eyes were pleading. "Lois, please!"

She finally released him, still trying to recover from the revelation. Oliver used a grappling arrow to reach the roof and managed to escape. Lois watched him disappear from her sight.

-º-

Lois was pacing back and forth, waiting for Oliver to show up. "Hey," his voice was low, a hint of embarrassment in it. He had changed back to the suit he was wearing at the fundraiser.

She looked at him, angry. "Why did you that to Mrs. K? What the hell is that costume?"

Oliver stood there, quiet, trying to think ways to explain his story to her.

Lois was growing impatient. "I'm waiting."

He took a deep breath. "Look, Lois, that necklace… Lionel bought that off a notorious Bosnian warlord, used it to launder LuthorCorp money."

Lois crossed her arms. "So what? You steal from the rich to give to the poor like some kind of modern-day Robin Hood?"

Oliver chuckled shyly. "Something like that. I return stolen artifacts to its museums and give other valuable stolen objects to charities." He approached her. "Look, I just wanna do good."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "And what good is it where you attacks Mrs. K? I know Lionel is rotten to the core, but she has nothing to do with his dirty business."

"Lionel kept that necklace locked in the LuthorCorp safe, it was my chance. I'm sorry I had to involve Martha in it."

Lois sighed. "Next time, don't do that." She took a step back and turned her back to him. "Or I'll have to take you down." Her lips curved in a teasing smile.

"How about you share your secret first?"

Lois's eyes opened widely, her heart started to beat faster. "What are you talking about?" She turned around to face him, trying to sound and look as confused as possible.

"The way my shirt burst into flames last week, your strong grip tonight. Do you really think I wouldn't note it?" His stare was intense, demanding.

"I think you're paranoiac," she smirked at him. Inside she was afraid. Did she screwed up her and Clark's secret in such a short time?

"I got curious about how my shirt burnt like that, then I started to investigate. Tell me, Lois, how is that possible a plane fall from the sky, all of its parachutes unused, and both passengers survive with only a scratch on their heads. And then there's Lionel Luthor covering the accident from the authorities."

Lois gulped. "We pray a lot," she gave him a fake smile, grabbed her purse and turned to leave. "Now, if you excuse me, I gotta go."

Oliver grabbed her arm, stopping her. "I'm not your enemy. You keep my secret, I keep yours." He gave her a small smile.

Lois glared at him. She couldn't decipher if it was a threat or his way of saying she could trust him.

A man cleared his throat. "Mr. Queen, you have a visit," Oliver's assistant said.

Oliver nodded and looked at the newcomer. "What can I do for you, Mr…?"

"Milo." The man extended his hand, which Oliver shook. "I own the Safetex, the security firm contracted by LuthorCorp. I came here to talk to Ms. Lane."

"Yes?"

"Mr. Luthor told me you ran after the thief. Can you describe him to me?"

Oliver gulped and looked at her, afraid of what Lois was going to say. She gave him a warm smile and went to sit on the couch, crossing her legs. "I'm sorry, I couldn't I.D. the guy. He didn't exactly stick around to chat."

Oliver released the breath he was holding.

"Well, if you remember anything, here's my number," The man took a card out of his suit jacket, offering it to her, disappointment written all over his face.

Lois took it. "I will."

The man turned to leave, saying good night to both of them.

"Thank you," Oliver spoke after the man left.

Lois nodded, giving him a reassuring smile.

"Mr. Queen," Oliver's assistant spoke, announcing a new visitor.

"My mom told me you were here," Clark said.

"Smallville, it's almost midnight," Lois said, surprised.

"Clark," Oliver greeted him.

"Oliver." Clark then looked at Lois again. "I came here to get that necklace back. Last thing I want is for my mom to be indebted to Lionel Luthor."

Oliver spoke. "Yeah, well, I mean, she should've thought of that before she accepted his help with her fundraising -"

"Oliver!" Lois shouted, both her and Clark glared at him.

"My point is, don't feel bad about Lionel Luthor, he isn't the first and definitely won't be last rich man hit by that guy."

Clark frowned. "What, are you saying that Lionel Luthor's not the only victim?"

"Over a dozen of Metropolis' who's whos have been hit recently."

"Good, then there's some leads."

"Not if all the victims were as uncooperative as Lionel Luthor." Oliver knitted his eyebrows. "You find it interesting that he never called the police?"

Clark pondered his remark. "I'll check it by myself." He turned his attention back to Lois. "C'mon, I'll drive you home."

"No need. My driver will take her there later."

Clark ignored Oliver. "Lois." With a nod of his head, he signaled to Lois to leave with him.

Both of them looked at her waiting for an answer, which made her feel uncomfortable. "Okay, if you boys are done marking your territory, which, surprisingly, it's me, I actually have to leave. I have work to do tomorrow." Lois grabbed her purse and scarf and looked at a disappointed Oliver with a shy smile. "Good night."

"We'll finish our talk tomorrow," he said.

She nodded.

Clark followed Lois as she leave, glancing at Oliver one last time, receiving one back.

-º-

"I could have super run to my apartment, you know?" Lois said. She was on the passenger seat of Clark's truck, while he was driving.

"You can, but you won't. Nothing of using your powers in excess or getting caught." Lois gulped at the last one. "So, did you find out who the thief was?"

Lois raised an eyebrow at him. "Why would I know?"

"My mom told me you ran after him. There's no way you'd let him escape without at least seeing his face."

"Well, since that guy isn't in jail right now, what do you think?" Lois forced a smile.

He looked suspiciously at her. "Why do I have this feeling you're hiding something from me?"

"Drop it, Smallville," Lois raised her voice, avoiding to look at him.

Clark sighed. "Fine. I'll find out by myself."

The rest of the drive was quiet, with Clark shooting glances at Lois and her mind elsewhere after tonight's revelation.

-º-

The next day, Lois was sitting on the couch in her apartment, watching "Dr. Phil" on TV. Someone knocked on the door. Lois got up to answer it.

"Hi," Oliver grinned at her. He was holding a small bouquet of roses. "For you."

"Oh, Oliver, you sho –" She stopped, thinking better. "They're beautiful. Thanks. Come in."

He entered the apartment as she closed the door. She went to the kitchen to grab a vase. "I know I should've called first, but I thought that it would be nice if I surprise you with flowers. I really wanted to talk to you," he was rambling.

Lois put the flowers on a vase and placed it on the countertop.

Oliver looked at the TV and frowned. "Are you watching 'Dr. Phil?'"

Lois chuckled and nodded. "There's so many things going on my life right now, hearing a professional's opinion is comforting. I'm waiting for the superpowers episode."

"Your powers are recent?" He asked, surprised.

"Yeah. I'm still dealing with them."

"If you need, I can help you."

"Thanks, but I already have that covered," Lois gave him a half-smile. She then cleared her throat. "Tell me about your story. How, why."

"Have you heard about what happened to me years ago?"

"If I remember correctly, you were stranded on an island for two years after your yatch shipwrecked. Is that right?"

"Uh-huh. There I learned archery. When I got back I decided I couldn't be that playboy anymore, I needed to step up and be a better person, help others."

Lois frowned. "In tights?"

"They're not tights," Oliver denied, annoyed.

"They looked like tights from where I was standing," Lois smirked.

"They're not tights."

Lois chuckled. "Okay, Tightman."

Oliver sighed. He then cleared his throat. "What about your story?"

She averted his eyes. "I can't, I'm sorry. Not because I don't want to, it's… It's complicated."

Oliver nodded. "It's okay. Whenever you're ready to share." He approached her, which made her look at him again. "You… Do you accept to have dinner with me tomorrow night?"

"Oliver…"

"You don't need to answer right now, okay? Just think about and then give me a call."

Lois pondered it and then nodded. "Okay."

Oliver smiled. "Well, I gotta go. Bye, Lois."

"Bye."

-º-

After confirming that Lionel haven't call the police with the man himself, Clark followed a tip from him. The man in the hood would attack the last name left on the Safetex's clients list.

As expected, the vigilant broke into the client's mansion to steal a Egyptian necklace. After redirecting the laser alarm with an arrow so he could approach the necklace without ringing the alarm, he grabbed the object. He didn't count on Clark being there, though. "Who are you?"

"Sorry, I have no official name yet." Oliver's voice was disguised by a voice changer in his sunglasses.

"Well… you won't need it anymore."

"I think you're taking the whole neighborhood-watch thing a bit too seriously." Oliver started to walk through Clark.

Clark stopped him with a hand against his chest. Oliver glared at him and raised a hand to punch Clark in the face, but was stopped again. Clark then threw him across the room, tripping the security alarms.

"That was fun," Oliver said, getting up. "Is there anyone who hasn't a big secret?" He started to approach Clark. "I hate to break it to you, tough guy, but you're on the wrong side."

"I'm not sure the police would agree."

"Look around you, Beav," Oliver tapped his hand against the side of his leg, frustrated. "The days of the good guy running the show are over." He then shot an electric mini arrow at him, which Clark caught.

Clark decided it was time to know who the man behind the hood was and then used his x-ray vision. His eyes opened widely. "Oliver!"

Oliver gulped, taken aback by Clark shouting his name. "What –" However, with a security guard approaching them, he had to think fast. He shot another arrow, this time hitting the guard and knocking him out.

Clark went to check on the guard, but when he turned around to face Oliver again, he was gone.

-º-

There was a knock on the door of apartment above the talon. Lois was on the couch watching TV. "Come in."

Clark entered the apartment. "Hey."

She smiled at him. "Hi."

Clark approached her, frowning at what she was seeing. "Watching 'Dr. Phil?'"

She nodded, not taking her eyes off the TV. "Marathon."

Clark took a deep breath. "Why didn't you tell me Oliver was the vigilant?"

Lois's eyes bugged out. She looked at him. "What?"

"I saw him, Lois. And now your hesitation yesterday makes sense." He was looking at her with a look of disapproval.

Lois got up and glared at him. "He asked me to keep a secret and that's what I did. Simple as that."

"The guy's a criminal, Lois. He even attacked my mother."

"He has reason to do it, Smallville. And he said he was sorry about what he did to Mrs. K."

"You can't close your eyes just because you likes him."

When Lois was about to reply, someone knocked on the door. Lois glared at Clark one last time before answering the door. "Oliver," she said.

"Lois. Clark, he –" Oliver stopped as he entered the apartment and saw Clark snorting at him. They glared at each other.

Lois looked at them, concerned. "Should I go get the collar or…" She joked, trying to ease the tension.

"Give back everything you stole!" Clark said to Oliver.

"Do you even realize that those objects don't belong to them to begin with? That everything was bought off the black market?"

Lois sat on a chair, sighing.

"I don't doubt that the people you stole from are corrupts, but steal isn't the right answer. And your methods put people at risk."

"Because isn't yours? For me the end justifies the means."

"What if every person decides who should and shouldn't be stolen. What if someone someday decides that you, Oliver Queen, is a corrupt and starts to steal from you?"

"I have nothing to hide."

"Are you sure there's no asterisk in your past?"

Oliver angered. "How about you stop accusing me and start to be more proactive!"

Lois got up and took a deep breath. "Okay, this is too far. Clark, Oliver did the right thing. His way may not be the best one to do it, but his intentions are what matters. If the price is a few tears of the likes of Lionel Luthor, I don't see the problem." She then looked at Oliver and pointed at him. "Now, you, don't you doubt of Smallville ever again. The person you want to become, he has been it his whole life."

Clark was amused at Lois defending him, while Oliver gasped.

"Can't we just get along? Don't we want justice and peace?" Lois finished, furrowing.

Clark nodded. "I suppose so. Truce?" Oliver asked as he extended his hand.

"Only if you return what you've stolen from Lionel."

Oliver raised his voice. "Are you k –" Lois shot him a look. "It was illegal."

"I'll take care of that."

"Fine."

"What about the other objects you stole?"

"I'll return them to their right places. The Met, the Tate, and the Louvre."

Clark nodded. "Good."

Lois cleared her throat. "Well, if you two excuse me, I have an encounter with Dr. Phil." She then headed to the couch.

Oliver chuckled and looked at Clark. "I think that's our cue to leave."

"I'll stay, actually. I have something to talk to Lois."

Oliver nodded. "Good night, Lois."

"Good night," Lois replied, not taking her eyes off the TV.

Oliver then left the apartment.

After a couple of minutes, Lois realized Clark was still in her apartment, standing a couple of meters away from her, his mind elsewhere. "Either you sit or you leave."

He was startled out of his thoughts by her voice. "Oh. Yeah, okay." He went to sat on the couch."

"What is it in your out of this world mind?"

"I'm thinking about what I'm going to do with Lionel's necklace. I can't just give it to him knowing where it's from."

"Well, if you're accepting advices, I'd say you should test Lionel."

Clark looked puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"If he really has changed, I think you should tell him to donate it to charity. Righting a wrong."

He pondered her suggestion, then smiled. "That's actually a great idea. Thanks."

"Anytime," she smiled back. "Now, shh."

"Why are you so addicted to it?"

"I don't know. I can't decide if it's because I want to see some normalcy or to prove I'm not the only weird thing happening in the world right now."

Clark laughed. "How about I keep you company?"

"Only if you shut up," she gave him a tight-lipped smile.

He leaned in and whispered. "I'll make popcorn." He then got up and went to kitchen.

"I love you!"

Clark chuckled.

-º-

Two days later, Lois and Oliver were having a cup of coffee at the Talon.

"I can't believe you're the one who came up with the 'Green Arrow' name," Oliver said, dropping the Daily Planet newspaper with an article about the new hero on its front page. "I really liked it."

Lois smiled proudly. "I told my cousin the name I came up with, which she loved, and the details of what happened, leaving certain things out, of course."

"I really appreciate it." He took a sip of his coffee. "Do you know what Clark did with the necklace?"

"He gave it to Lionel, requesting him to donate it to charity."

"Did he?"

"Of course he did. Lionel does anything to be in Clark and, especially, Mrs. K's good graces."

"You don't buy his redemption, do you?"

"Not at all. But it's like Clark says, it's better him on our side than against us."

Oliver nodded. He stared at his cup, taking deep breaths, until he looked at her again. "Have you… Have you thought about us?"

Lois gulped, nodding shyly. "I… Uh, have. I accept to go out with you again. With one condition."

"What?"

"We start as friends. Get to know each other better, don't rush into anything."

"Oh," Oliver was surprised. "I… Okay. Taking things slow is good. Don't they say the best romances begin with friendship?" He smiled shyly at her.

She smiled back and nodded. "Absolutely."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

"Crazy last couple of days, huh?" Lois said.

She and Oliver had attended a social event at his former school Excelsior Academy two days ago. There, they met Oliver's former colleagues Geoffrey, Alden, and to Lois's surprise, Lex, who was accompanied by Lana. The reunion opened an old secret that returned to haunt them. Back at the school days, Duncan Allenmeyer, Lex's old best friend, was killed hit by a car right after Lex joined Oliver's group and started beating him.

After Alden and Geoffrey died under unusual circumstances, Clark and Lois started to investigate and found out that Lionel covered up Duncan's real state. He was in a vegetative state for the last ten years and the doctors hired by Lionel were trying to revive him. Around the same time the reunion happened, Duncan started to receive a new treatment derived from refined meteor rocks, which gave him astral projection powers. Clark saved Oliver and Lex before they were the next victims. Duncan ended up dying due to an electric charge caused by one of Oliver's new EMP arrow.

"Yeah," Clark replied. He and Lois were at the kitchen of the farm. "I think Oliver learned from it, as Lex should."

Lois shook her head. "But he won't. You can try to hope, to root for him to change, but he won't. Neither will Lionel. For them, there's always an agenda behind their actions."

He nodded. "You're right. I know you're right. I wish Lana could see things clearly like you do."

"Again with this?" She said, sighing. "It's her choice, and she's gonna have to live with that. As for you, either tell her the damn truth or move on!"

Clark avoided her eyes, and then cleared his throat. "I didn't call you here to talk about that."

Lois threw her hands up and shook her head. "I give up." Lois then crossed her arms. "What you wanted to tell me?"

"Show, actually." He took a paper out of his pocket and showed it to her.

Lois looked puzzled. "Who's this?"

Clark smiled. "Raya."

"Oh, the woman that –"

He nodded. "Yes. Chloe has been searching for the Phantom Zone criminals, who she named Zoners. Apparently, Raya escaped as well, alive."

"So what are we waiting for to start looking for her?"

"No. I'll look for her, alone. Well, with a little of help from Chloe."

Lois raised an eyebrow at him, annoyed. "Is it just me or are you shutting me off?"

Clark put the paper back in his pocket and went to the living room, sitting on the couch. "You know very well why I don't let you to get involved."

Lois followed him. "If I can't help you with your alien weirdness, then what's the use of those powers?"

"Look, I know you're frustrated. All those powers and I'm here stopping you from using them. Just wait, okay? At least until I find Raya, maybe she'll help us with the Fortress problem."

"Fine." She pouted. "But, FYI, if the situation needs me, don't expect me to sit back and just watch it."

He gave her a warm smile. "I don't expect anything less from you."

-º-

"Oakland, California," Clark said, grabbing photographs that were on a table. Chloe had brought them so she and Clark could investigate Zoners related crimes.

"Local authorities determined it was made by a shooting star, but that was just wishful thinking," Chloe said. Clark shot her a look. "Sorry. It impacted six weeks ago, right around the time you fell out of the Phantom Zone. It gets worse. He's already killed once. Two boys went missing on the site of the crater. All they found were human ashes and a basketball."

"Sounds like heat vision."

"Not unless your heat vision comes with a radiation setting. The ashes were off the geiger charts, and the next day, the nuclear facilities 20 miles away were hit."

"Any idea why the Zoner would be there?"

"Well, aside from giving the five researchers a premature cremation, the radioactive material that they'd been working with was sucked dry."

"It's almost like he was feeding off it. We need to check all the plants in the area."

Chloe gave him a cocky smiled. "Hello? Um, have you met me?" She went to grab her purse and took another photograph out of it with the path of the attacks. "There have been a half a dozen incidents across the continent. The most recent one was just outside of Metropolis."

"Chloe, these attacks form a straight line."

"Headed directly towards you."

Clark looked concerned. "Chloe..."

"I'll make a list of all the possible sites within a 100-mile radius." She started to leave, worried. "I'll call you."

"Thanks."

After Chloe left, Clark kept looking at the papers. He then heard something outside the barn. When he started to head to the other door of the barn, a woman emerged from the shadows.

"Raya?" Clark said in a soft hushed tone

She smiled at him. "Hello, Kal-El."

Clark gave her a small smile, still a little shocked to see her again.

They decided to take a walk on the field near the house. "I was afraid I'd never see you again. I'm sorry. I didn't want to leave you in the Phantom Zone," he apologized.

"You had no choice. It's okay, Kal-El." Raya saw his uncertain face and added. "And if it wasn't for you, I would have never escaped. I would have never seen all this. It's more beautiful than the world your father described."

"How'd you find me?"

"Your father told me about the family he had chosen for you, about Smallville. It must have been hard growing up here by yourself."

"I had my parents. I had my friends," he said, hesitating.

"But no one who really understood you."

Clark looked at her, knowing she was right. "You mean what was it like to grow up with such a big secret?"

She smiled. "And the amazing rush of racing trains, knowing nothing can hurt you."

He smiled back. "I used to try to pretend not to notice, but sometimes I would catch my dad watching me when I'd picked something up that was impossible for him to even move. He wanted so much to know what that felt like."

"But he never could."

His face turned serious. "No matter how I think I fit in... Every day I'm reminded I'm not one of them."

"You're not alone anymore. I'm here," she said, smiling at him again.

Clark's lips curled into a gentle smile. "Actually, I don't feel so alone anymore. There's someone I want you to meet. Her name is Lois, she is really great… Don't tell her I said that to you."

Raya looked puzzled. "Do you like her?"

He gulped. "Oh, no… Not the way you're implying. She recently acquired kryptonian powers. Jor-El did something to her."

Her eyes opened widely. "Humans are not supposed to have those powers, Kal-El. It's beyond their body and mind capacity."

Clark nodded. "I know that. I found it out the hard way. But there's nothing I can do. Jor-El, the Fortress… It's dead."

"We have to find a way to bring it back. You can't continue without your source of training."

Clark hesitated. "I… I haven't started my training yet."

Raya couldn't believe what she was hearing. "You must accept your destiny, Kal-El. You must save Earth."

He frowned at her. "Save it from what?"

"Extinction. Your civilization is going to destroy itself, just like Krypton."

"I don't know if I can trust Jor-El anymore. He'd only brought pain in my life."

"Pain is part of anyone's journey, you can't escape it."

Clark didn't say anything.

"Jor-El was a great man, Kal-El. Brave, strong… With the biggest heart of anyone I've ever known."

"To be honest, that's not the Jor-El I imagined."

"He was determined to save us. I remember helping him build your ship. He was so careful, planning every detail, down to your baby blanket." Clark smiled at the last part. "I wish that he could see you now."

Clark averted his eyes, regret on his face. "I haven't been the best son."

"Your father was hard on himself, too. He felt guilty that he couldn't save Krypton. His only redemption was sending you to save Earth."

"Maybe once he fix Lois's problem, me and him can start over," he said, smiling shyly.

Raya nodded.

They heard a noise coming from the barn. "What is that?" Clark spoke.

They superspeeded to the barn, finding a young and short black man there. "Who are you?" Clark asked.

The man turned around to face them. "You're the last son of Krypton. I've been waiting for this moment for a long time."

Clark glared at him, recognizing the tone of his voice. "You're the one who's been coming for me."

"And I think it will be worth the trip." He then looked at Raya. "What's the matter, Raya? Don't recognize an old friend? It's me, Baern."

"He's one of the Phantoms," she told Clark.

"How do you like the new suit?"

"What do you want?" Clark asked, worried.

"To pay back your old man for giving me a one-way ticket to hell. But then he had to go and get himself eviscerated along with everyone else from that ice cube you call a planet. So I guess you'll have to do." Baern then blasted energy beams at Clark, sending him flying through the barn wall.

The attack wore out Baern, but he still tried to attack Raya from behind with his superspeed. She anticipated and then kicked him in the face, sending him flying through the barn wall, too.

"Kal-El," Raya went to check on Clark outside the barn, realizing that only his T-shirt was damaged by Baern's attack.

"Where is he?" Clark asked. They realized Baern had escaped.

-º-

Clark was walking down the stairs of the house, he'd just change his damaged red T-shirt to a blue T-shirt. "I know my father told you where he sent me, but how did Baern know?"

"After Krypton fell and Jor-El was dead, the prisoners in the Phantom Zone discovered that he'd only managed to save his own son. The story of your survival was a myth, a rumor... One of hope for some of us and revenge for others."

Clark looked puzzled. When he was about to say something, there was a knock on the door. Without waiting for someone to open it, Lois entered the house. "Hey, Smallville. You're gonna love me. I've been doing some investigation and I found out that that friend of yours is here in Kansas."

Clark looked delighted. "Lois…" He tilted his head, signaling for her to turn around.

Lois looked behind her. "Oh." She then turned around and extended her hand, smiling. "Raya, right? I'm Lois Lane."

Raya shook it, smiling back. "Nice to meet you, Lois Lane. Clark told me about you."

"Whatever he said about me, don't ever believe in him."

Raya laughed.

Lois looked at Clark. "She's really pretty," she said, winking at Clark.

He rolled his eyes at the implication of her words.

"So, what you two kryptonian kids have been up to? Clark, have you show our visitor the greatness of our country, like donuts?"

"Actually, we hadn't time for that. There's a new threat out there," Clark said.

Lois frowned. "What is it this time?"

"A Zoner. Raya was just telling me he wants revenge for my father locking him up in the Phantom Zone." He looked at Raya. "If Baern's been dreaming of killing me for the last 20 years, why he didn't try harder to kill me?"

"I don't think he was expecting to fight both of us. He was weakening. His race feeds off radioactive energy."

"So that's why he's so strong."

"Baern killed hundreds on his own planet before he came to Krypton. But Jor-El managed to exile him to the Phantom Zone."

"I'm guessing Baern is searching for a new energy source.

"It won't take him long. He can sense power sources. There's only one thing that can stop him... Your father's crystal." Raya looked at the crystal that Clark had placed on the table earlier.

"What are we waiting for, then? Let's take this bad guy down!" Lois spoke, excited.

Clark glared at her. "You're not going."

"Why? I can help you!"

"You can get hurt, for starters."

Lois angered. "What a bunch of crap is that? I have the same powers that you have, you can get hurt as much as I can."

"You know all the reasons, Lois. I've been listing them to you since day one."

Lois shook he head, irritated. "Blah blah blah. You're an idiot." She went to the living room and sat on the couch, turning on the TV and refused to look at him again.

His eyes were downcast. "Let's go."

Raya only nodded, avoiding to get in the middle of their fight.

They left, and Lois still refused herself to look at the spot they were. Her eyes showed the clearly anger she was feeling.

Outside the house, Raya spoke. "You shouldn't be so hard on her."

"It's not safe for her, Raya, you know that. You saw what Baern did to me, can you imagine what he'd do to her? I can't let her to get hurt. If the price for her safety is her to get mad at me, so be it."

Raya still looked concerned. "I hope you know what you're doing."

-º-

Clark and Raya headed to the Daily Planet where they met Chloe. She told them that Jimmy photographed a mysterious object in Lex's mansion. It was what was left of the box that Zod used to destroy Earth. Raya explained that it was actually the power core of Brainiac, a kryptonian energy core exponentially stronger than anything here on Earth. They realized that's what Baern was after, it'd give him enough power to fuel him indefinitely and kill them.

Unfortunately, Clark realized they were too late when he went to visit Lex at the hospital after an attack and Lana told him that it was destroyed.

Raya then asked Clark to take her to the Fortress. "Raya, I told you the Fortress is dead. Why are we here?" Clark asked.

"It's our only hope to defeat Baern." She took a look around, sad to see the current state of the place. Dark, lifeless. "This was all we had left of our home, Kal-El."

"And now it's gone, too," Clark said in a defeated tone.

She shook her head. "It was more than that. The Fortress was a storehouse for all the knowledge in the universe... At least all that we had." Her voice showed her disappointment. "How could this happen?"

Clark felt ashamed, useless. "I'm sorry. I don't know how to bring it back."

"Your father wouldn't have given up so easily."

"I haven't given up. I don't know what else to do. I've tried everything."

"Everything except the training your father wanted for you," she replied, her tone accusatory.

Clark stared at her. "So, why are we here?" His voice was raspy.

"Baern is too dangerous to attack anywhere else. With the power he absorbed from the box, he could wipe out half a continent." Raya approached the mainframe console.

"If he's that strong, will the crystal still work?"

"It should, provided we stay alive long enough to use it."

"I'm not sure it'll be that easy just to lure him here."

"I'm gonna see if I can reroute whatever residual power is left... Just enough to send out a signal... To let Baern know you're here."

-º-

"'I'm sorry, you're not cool and kryptonian enough to join our VIP group,'" Lois was still at the farm, drinking a beer and barely paying attention to the TV, trying to imitate Clark's rough voice and failing miserably at it. "Stupid Smallville, stupid powers. I hope he trips and falls face-first into a kryptonite rock."

Suddenly, somebody bursted into the house. Lois looked at the visitor, shocked, and got up. "Who are you?"

"Where's Kal-El?" He asked.

Lois raised an eyebrow. "Two plus two makes four, you must be Baern."

"You're friend of Kal-El, human?"

"For you is Miss Lane," she smirked.

Baern was becoming annoyed. He then approached Lois and raised his hand to her neck, trying to squeeze it. Before he could press it further, Lois held his wrist and freed her neck from his grip. Baern looked surprise at her. "Surprise, surprise," she smirked. She then threw a punch at him, sending him flying through the house wall. "Mrs. K is gonna kill me for destroying her house."

Lois went outside to check on Baern. He was on the floor, wiping the blood coming from his mouth. "I underestimated you," he said.

She was distracted when she heard Martha entering the house, agitated by the noise caused by the destruction. When Baern was about to attack Lois with energy beam, both he and Lois heard a high-pitched humming. "I'll deal with you later," Baern said, and then left.

Martha approached Lois. "Lois, what happened?"

Lois had her hands on her ears, the pain annoying her no end. "I can't talk right, Mrs. K." She then ran, following the uncomfortable noise.

Martha looked confused.

-º-

The signal coming from the Fortress stopped, just like its console. "That's all the power I was able to draw. Hopefully it'll be enough," Raya said.

"That sound... I've heard it before."

"Every Kryptonian family has a unique tone ... a beacon to identify itself. Baern's sure to recognize yours."

Clark nodded. "And follow it straight to me."

"So this is Jor-El's famed Fortress of knowledge," Baern spoke, having just arrived at Fortress. Clark and Raya stared at him. "I thought it'd be bigger."

Lois also arrived there, but decided to not reveal herself.

"It doesn't matter. You won't be staying long", Clark told him.

"Big talk, big man. I'm surprised you're still standing. I guess Jor-El was right about how the yellow sun affects you Kryptonian cockroaches. But I'm back. And now ... I'm supersized. This is the perfect place for the fall of the House of El."

Baern shot energy beam at Clark, who tried to deflect it with the crystal, but was thrown backwards, dropping the crystal.

"Paying for the sins of your father can be a bitch." Baern fired again, this time Raya stepped in front of blast, protecting Clark. Before he could kill her, Lois threw herself on Baern, knocking him down.

"Lois!" Clark shouted, surprised. Before Baern could hurt her, too, Clark retrieved the crystal and then approached him, absorving his energy with it. Baern tried to shoot at Clark one last time, but he was becoming powerless as the crystal got stronger. The phantom finally left the man's body and was banished back to the Phantom Zone.

Clark knelt besides Lois to help her to get up. "Lois, you shouldn't. You could've –"

Lois refused his help. "I can get up by myself. Go check on Raya, I think she's hurt."

Clark nodded, a little hurt by her coldness. He went to check on Raya, who was still lying on the floor. Clark picked her up. "Raya! Raya!"

She started to open her eyes, feeling a sharp pain. "I'm fine, just a little hurt. Lois saved me."

Clark smiled at Lois, who was checking on the unconscious boy that Baern had possessed. "Yes, she did." He then looked at her, still smiling. "And you saved me."

With a little difficulty, Raya stood up. "The crystal... It has enough power now. We can restore the Fortress now."

Lois looked at her. "That means I –"

Raya nodded, giving her a warm smile. "You can have your old life back."

Lois's smile grew by the second.

"Lois…" Clark spoke, trying to apologize to her.

"It's okay, Smallville. I'll be fine, you won't have to worry about me anymore."

Why did his heart ache after hearing that? Was he afraid to lose this connection to her or was it the fact she didn't need him anymore? "I'll always protect you, Lois," he said, without giving it much thought.

Lois nodded.

"It's starting." Raya had already transferred the energy absorved by the crystal to the Fortress, its system starting to recharge.

"Jor-El?" Clark spoke.

"Kal-El, my son."

Both him and Raya breathed a sigh of relief.

"Hello, Jor-El," Raya greeted.

"Raya. I'm grateful you managed to escape the Phantom Zone."

"All thanks to your son, Kal-El."

Clark cleared his throat. "Jor-El, before you went dead you helped my friend, Lois Lane."

"Hello, mister… El," Lois greeted, uncertain.

"I'm aware of that, my son."

"There's a problem, though. She started to develop powers like she was some kind of kryptonian."

A bright light then surrounded Lois. Five minutes later, it disappeared. The three of them waited Jor-El to spoke.

"The process is irreversible."

"What?" Clark and Lois said in union.

"Lois Lane was in a state of almost death when she was brought to me by Martha Kent. To save her, I had placed kryptonian cells in her system, making it possible to her to recover from her injury. However, this Fortress internal system was failing, and I could not remove some of those cells."

Clark looked apprehensive. "What are you saying?"

"The kryptonian cells started to multiplicate inside her, replacing her human cells. Lois Lane is now a full kryptonian.

Sadness, disappointment, hopeless, all visible on Lois's face. She was fighting against the tears, but until when would she resist? And why to resist at all?

Clark kept looking at her, feeling her sadness. He wanted to comfort her, telling her everything would be alright. He just needed to believe in it first.

Raya spoke. "Jor-El, isn't it dangerous? Humans turning into kryptonians."

"It is a rare case. I believe the kryptonian cells were able to took over Lois Lane's cells due to the fact they were almost dead. Nonetheless, it is essential you both keep this case a secret. Our blood is one of the most intriguing subjects of the universe, it can save millions of lives, but it can also means the destruction of the entire universe."

"Understood."

"Kal-El, my son, I apologize. I had failed you."

Clark barely paid attention to Jor-El's apologize, his attention focused on Lois, her silence hurting his soul.

-º-

"I told you Clark, I'm fine. You didn't have to bring me home," Lois sighed.

"What kind of friend would I be if I don't stay by your side in a moment like this?" He gave her a shy smile.

Lois would make a remark at his commentary, and that's how he knew she wasn't fine.

She cleared her throat. "I hope the boy's okay."

"He will be."

"I gotta say, Raya is pretty, smart, strong, confident –"

"Are you interested in her, Lois?" Clark smirked.

Lois shot him a look. "Just saying, you don't have to look further to move on."

He rolled his eyes. "Raya and I are just friends."

"C'mon, you two are the last of your kind, you're perfect for each other."

"Well, technically, you're a kryptonian now. Does that mean we two have to breed?"

Lois sighed. "Touché." She then looked at him, concerned. "Just, please, try. Try to love someone else. You're a great guy, you deserve better than to wait forever for someone who already chose someone else."

"I will, if you promise something."

"What?" She looked puzzled.

"We won't fight like that again. Banter is okay. Banter is good. Fights like that one are not."

She gave a little laugh and nodded. "Deal. You're pig-headed, but not idiot."

"Good." Clark then looked at his watch. "I gotta go check on Raya."

"Go, I'll be fine," she gave him a tight-lipped smile.

He headed to the door and opened it. "Good night."

"Night."

Clark then left.

The smile fell from her face, her expression turned serious. She sat on the couch, looking at her hands. A tear dropped on the palm of her hand. Soon, tears started rolling down her cheeks and the painful sound of cry could be heard.

Lois heard a closing door sound and looked up. It was Clark, he was waiting for her breakdown. She thought about hiding her face, wiping her tears, but she couldn't hide it anymore. Neither she wanted to.

Clark went to her and without hesitation hugged her. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," he said, teary-eyed.

Lois cried more, she let it all out. The pain, the fear. She let herself be comforted in the embrace of the man who had been her best friend and strength this past month.

-º-

Clark reached home later that night. His mother and Raya were talking in the kitchen. "Hey," he greeted.

"How's Lois?" Raya asked.

"She's resting," he replied, his tone sad.

"Raya told me what happened, I hope Lois's okay," Martha said.

"She will be. She just need the people she loves the most to get through this."

Martha nodded. "I'll visit her tomorrow." She then looked at the clock. "I really need to go to sleep, I have to wake early. Raya, it was lovely to meet you. You can stay here as long as you want."

"Thank you," Raya said.

Martha smiled at the two of them. "Good night."

They both answered back. Clark then spoke. "Was everything alright with the man Baern possessed?"

"Yes. His name is Lamar, by the way."

"I'm happy to know."

Raya looked at him, realizing his mind was elsewhere. "You're worried about her."

He knitted his eyebrows. "I just wish I could've done more, ease her pain.

"You're giving her the best thing a person can give to another, Kal-El. You're by her side when she needs it the most. She'll need you more than ever from now on."

"I hope you can help me with that."

Raya gulped, averting her eyes.

Clark frowned. "What?"

"I'm not staying on Earth. Not because I didn't love it here. But I feel that my mission is elsewhere."

"How so?"

"I've been suffering staying in the Phantom Zone, that is true. However, it's also true that there I felt good knowing I could protect worlds from becoming targets of that criminals. Earth is your home, you are its savior. I want to protect other worlds that doesn't have someone like you."

Clark looked sad. "What happened to 'You're not alone anymore'?"

Raya gave him a smile. "We both know you're not, Kal-El. And she's much more special to you than me."

"Raya, I don't –"

She started to leave to sleep. "You two care about each other, more than you're willing to admit. And once you do, you'll realize what I've known since the first time you mentioned her name to me." She went upstairs, disappearing from his sight.

Clark wanted to refute her words. He really did. He simply couldn't stop the smile that appeared on his lips.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

"Follow me, Kal-el," Raya said. They left the house and walked to a field far away from there. Raya was smiling the whole way, loving the fresh air on her face. She had decided to stay until Thanksgiving, despite her lack of understanding of that holiday.

"What is it you want to show me, Raya?" Clark asked, confused.

She smiled at him. "Do you feel the air?"

He looked even more confused.

"It has strength, the purest kind. When you feel it, you feel quietness, your body get ligther." She closed her eyes. "You feel like flying."

Clark looked astonished at Raya, her feet hovering above the ground. "You're… You're flying?!"

She nodded. "It is in you, Kal-El. You can do this, too."

"Raya, I did it before. More than once. I just… I don't know how, what activates it."

Her feet were back on the ground. "You're looking at it the wrong way. It's not about its potential or a starting button, it's about how you feel, how much free you feel. Give me your hands." Clark extended his hands, which Raya held. "Now close your eyes and clear your mind."

Clark closed his eyes, inhaling deeply the air around him. Raya released his hands. "Let the air guide you," she told him.

He kept his eyes closed. After several seconds, though, he started knitted his eyebrows, sighing in defeat. "I can't."

Raya looked disappointed. "You just have to concentrate, Kal-El."

"That's the thing, I can't. Lois's problem, the Zoners, the memories of my father this time of the year. I stop thinking about one and start thinking about the other."

"I understand it. But you have to try harder, it's important that you learn this power to fight the Phantom Zone criminals. The sooner you send them back, the sooner you can finally start your training."

Clark nodded. "I know." He then closed his eyes again, taking a deep breath and trying to concentrate, until he heard a voice calling him. "Chloe is calling me. I gotta go," he said, giving Raya an apologetic look as he left.

He reached the barn where Chloe was waiting for him. "I need to talk to you," she said, impatience in her voice.

"Good morning to you, too."

Chloe ignored his remark. "What's happening to my cousin?" He tried to say something, but she continued. "And don't try to deny it because I heard you talking to her on the phone the last few days."

Clark gulped. "What exactly did you hear?"

"Lois saying she's fine, that you didn't need to worry about her. She's been quiet the whole week, and when I talked to her it's like she doesn't even paid attention to what I say."

Clark looked guilty. "Chloe, I'm sorry, I can't tell you what's going on with Lois. You'll have to ask her yourself."

She sighed. "I don't get it. Why would she confide in you and not me?"

"Chloe, believe me, her problems are bigger than who she trusts or not. Just… Give her time. I'm sure she'll tell you when she's ready."

"Fine," Chloe nodded in defeat. "I have to go to work now. See you later."

"Bye."

-º-

Lois was at her apartment watching a movie, barely paying attention to it. She was wearing her helicopters pajama. She stopped crying about three days ago, but the doubts of her new condition were still there. What did it mean not being human anymore? Would she looked different to other people from now on? Different to herself? Could she marry a normal guy and dare to dream to have children? Should she tell her father and sister about the new blood running through her veins?

She thought about running off, take a little trip somewhere, but she knew her worries won't leave her mind. At least, Clark's visits and phone calls kept her sane.

"With great powers comes great moping."

Lois looked up, there was Clark standing next to the door. He looked at her with a small smile on his face, but his eyes were full of concern. "Clark… How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough to know you're still not fine."

"Should I?"

Clark came to sit next to her on the couch. "No, of course not," he smiled at her. "I know this feeling. Isolated. But the same way it was hard for my parents to see me like that, it's hard for me to see you like that."

"Don't worry, Smallville, the old Lois will be back sooner than you think," she said, smiling back at him. "You can enjoy your day, I'll be fine."

Clark raised an eyebrow, smiling cockily. "Do you really think this is going to work with me? I came here to spend the rest of the morning with you, Lois."

Lois shrugged. "Whatever."

"Chloe is really worried about you, you know? When are you gonna tell her?"

"I don't know. I need to sort things out first."

He nodded. "What about Oliver? Shouldn't he be here and support you?"

"Oliver has no obligation to me, we're not dating."

He looked puzzled. "I thought you two…"

Lois shook her head. "No, we're trying the friends thing first."

"Oh," Clark felt a hint of happiness taking over his lips. He then cleared his throat. "He's still failing at it. He's not here when you need him the most."

"Well, I won't hold it against him. To be fair, I didn't even think about Oliver until you mentioned his name."

Clark frowned. "If you don't like him that way, why do you keep going out with him, then?"

"He's a great guy, handsome, smart, I really thought it could work, that I'd be more interested. I've never been in love, not the way you've been with Lana or your parents have with each other, so I don't know how does that feel, but I'm sure I don't feel it for Oliver. At least not yet."

Clark kept staring at her, letting her words sink in.

"How does it feel to be in love?" She asked.

He looked surprised at her question. "Err… It's hard to explain. You just do."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "You can try harder than that."

"Okay, I'll try," Clark said, sighing. He took a deep breath. "You enjoy being with that person, you think about her every time you can, and even the times you shouldn't. You do anything to see the smile on her face." Lois smiled at that, receiving a smile back from Clark. "Your heart beats faster seeing her, you memorize her scent and lips, waiting for the day you…"

Their faces were only inches apart, his eyes traveling between her eyes and lips. Lois was doing the same. Both of them were feeling each other's hot breath. Clark started to lean in as Lois started to close his eyes. Their moment was interrupted when the front door was opened.

Lois suddenly got up, her body completely tense. "Chloe!"

Clark was breathing heavily, barely believing what was about to happen.

"Hey, Lo –" Chloe then saw that someone else was in the apartment. "Clark, hi."

Clark waved to her, shyly.

Chloe looked back at Lois. "So, I'm on my lunch break and I thought I should come over here and keep you company. But I see someone thought it first."

Lois went to the kitchen as Clark stood up. "It's okay, Chloe. I'm already on my way out," he said. "I just came to see how Lois was doing."

Reaching the door, he said goodbye to Chloe. Opening it, he look at Lois, who was pretending to be focused on what was in the fridge. "Bye… Lois."

"Bye," Lois replied, waving her hand, refusing to look back at him. When she heard the sound of a door closing, she turned around to look at it, releasing the breath she was holding.

Chloe, who had already sat on the couch, frowned. "Anything wrong?"

Lois gave her a tight-lipped smile. "No, nothing."

-º-

They almost kissed. They had almost kissed when he was talking about love. What did it mean?

Before he looked further into the answer of that question, there was something he needed to do first.

Clark entered Oliver's penthouse looking for him. The man in question was lifting weights. "Oliver."

Oliver stopped what he was doing and stood up, smiling cockily at him. "What are you doing here, boy scout?"

"Why haven't you visited Lois those last days?"

Oliver frowned. "I've been busy. Why does it concern you?"

"Lois just found out something. She needs her friends right now, people she can count on."

"What happened to her?" Oliver asked, worried.

"Just talk to her. It'll make her feel better."

Oliver looked guilty. "Is she mad at me?"

Clark hesitated. "No. She doesn't even know I'm here."

"I'm glad. I hope my absence haven't screw things up between me and her."

Clark looked the other way. Although he was never against Oliver and Lois having a relationship, things had changed. He could only hope now that him looking out for Lois wouldn't come back to haunt him later.

-º-

"Come in," Lois said after hearing a knocking on her door.

"Hey. Are you busy?" Oliver asked. Lois was at the kitchen with a completely mess around her.

"Oliver…" Lois jerked, she didn't expect to see him. "Uh… Just making a pie for tomorrow's Thanksgiving."

"Err… Can't wait to prove it," Oliver said with uncertainty. He then cleared his throat. "Clark told me you –"

"Clark talked to you?"

"Yeah."

Lois looked confused. Did he really go talk to Oliver after what almost happened between them?

"Anyway, I'm sorry I've been absent, Lois. I want you to know I'm here for you."

Her mind was still focused on the mixed signals Clark was sending her.

"What happened to you?" Oliver asked, concern on his face.

His question snapped her out of her thoughts. "I… Uh… My powers are now permanent," she replied, remembering the other problem she was trying not to think for awhile. "I'm full kryptonian now."

Oliver saw the sadness on her face, feeling for her. "How are you taking it? I mean, wasn't you getting used to it?"

Lois shook her head. "I expected it as a temporary thing, like when you try a new hair. This is not who I am!"

"If it's any consolation, I saw your 'human' pictures, and you look as hot as ever," he told her, smiling shyly.

Lois blushed. "You don't know how that feels."

"Not exactly, I don't." Oliver took a syringe out of his pocket, Lois frowned at it. "This contains a drug called RL65, which contains healing properties. I've been working on this the past few weeks, that's why I've been absent."

"Ollie, those drugs always have side effects. You shouldn't use it," she said, concerned.

"I realize it now, thanks to you. I've been trying to be someone I'm not."

She looked puzzled. "Why's that?"

"It's hard for a guy to see the girl he likes and her best friend with all those powers and do not feel envy. I just wanna feel invincible like you guys."

Lois shook her head. "Trust me, I've never felt this vulnerable in my whole life."

"I believe you. That's why I'm going to the lab and end this." He put the syringe back in his pocket and turned to leave.

"Oliver, wait!"

"Yes?"

"We need to –" Lois then looked at his determined face, realization dawned on her. This was not the best time to talk about them. "Are you coming to Thanksgiving dinner at the farm?"

"Yeah, I'm looking forward to it."

Lois smiled at him. "I'll see you there, then."

"See you."

She watched as Oliver left the apartment. She was growing really tired of all those issues raising in her life. That vacation idea was becoming more and more interesting.

-º-

"Clark, what are you doing here?" Chloe asked. He was sitting at her desk at the Daily Planet waiting for her.

"I… I came here to ask you how your talk with Lois went."

Chloe sighed. "Whatever you said to her, it only worsened the situation. She was even more distant, I was practically talking to a wall."

Disappointment washed over him.

"Are you okay?" Chloe asked.

Clark nodded his head nervously. "Yeah. Just thinkin –"

"Chloe."

Both Clark and Chloe looked at the person calling her. Lana. She and Clark exchanged uncomfortable looks.

"Lana, hey," Chloe spoke, trying to ease the tension in the place.

"Lana," Clark greeted.

"Hi," Lana greeted back.

"Us girls were just gonna get some lunch," Chloe said.

"That's great. Uh, have a good time." Clark started to leave. Despite of his growing feelings for Lois, he wasn't sure if he'd ever feel comfortable around Lana.

-º-

"So, how does that feel working around the house with Mrs. K?" Lois asked.

"Martha is a remarkable woman, she reminds me so much of Lara, Kal-El's mother," Raya said. She had decided to pay a visit to Lois, trying to cheer her up.

"You're preachin' to the choir, sister. Everyone in Smallville knows the amazing person Mrs. K is, even the Luthors. I mean, one is in love with her and the other wish she was his mother. If they weren't such disgusting people, it'd sound almost poetic."

Raya chuckled. Her face then turned serious. "I met Lionel Luthor today. There's something about him that makes me uncomfortable."

Lois tilted her head. "That's Lionel."

"Martha invited him for Thanksgiving. Why?"

Lois gave her a small smile. "Who do you think Clark got his benevolence from? His father was way more distrustful."

Raya frowned at her. "The way Kal-El talked about his adoptive father, he seemed the perfect father figure.

"Oh, don't get me wrong, Mr. Kent was a great man. He respected me as much as I respected him. But he wasn't a perfect man, he had flaws, just like everyone. What made him to stand out was his love for his family, his desire to do what's right. To be honest, I kind of saw myself in him."

Raya smiled, nodding. "I can see it."

"Did you enjoy anything here on Earth? Our handsome men, for instance."

"They are really beautiful."

"Girl advice, you can get anyone you want."

Raya blushed. "You probably have all the men at your feat."

Lois chuckled. "Nah, life is more difficult than that. Most of the relationships don't work out, you may love someone but he doesn't, he may love you but you don't. It's a long way until you find the right one."

"It looks like to me you already had."

"Oliver? No –"

"Not Oliver Queen."

Lois stared at her, confused. What was she talking about?

"What do you think of Clark?" Raya asked.

Lois's body tensed. "Uh, he's a nice guy, a good friend. Why do you ask?"

"Handsome?"

"Err… Yeah. I mean, if you're really into the whole Brawny Lumberjack vibe." She gulped after Raya gave her a knowing smile. She then went to the rack to grab some DVDs. "How about we watch some movie? I have 'Die Hard' movies franchise, 'Pride and Prejudice,' 'Just Friends'… Err… You know what, action movie that is. 'Die Hard' marathon, baby!" She raised her hands in celebration, her voice sounding a little high.

Raya just laugh. Clark and Lois would have to accept their feelings for each other by themselves.

-º-

Thanksgiving Day. Lois had just arrived at the farm with the pie she made. Or what looked like a pie. She placed it at the kitchen table. "There," she said, a little proud of herself.

"Did you cook that on the barbecue?" Clark asked, not pleased with its look.

"It's a little crispy on the outside, but it's what's on the inside that counts," she replied, annoyed.

"I'm sure it's delicious. Clark, would you put the hotplate on the table, please?" Martha asked.

"Oh, let me help you with that, Martha," Raya spoke.

As Martha and Raya distanced from them, Clark spoke again. "We… We need to talk," he was nervous, his voice was low.

Lois gulped, her body tensed. "Not here, Smallville."

Clark nodded in defeat. Before an uncomfortable silence could take over the room, the doorbell rang. "I'll go get it," he said.

When he answered the door, there was Oliver with flowers bouquet in both of his hands, a medium one in one hand and a small one in the other. "Hey, Clark. Is Lois here?"

Clark stared shocked at Oliver. What he feared the most was happening.

"Oliver," Lois spoke. She was a few meters away from the door. When Clark looked at her, she saw something she didn't like to see on him. Hurt.

Without waiting for Clark's permission, Oliver entered the house and approached Lois. "This is for you."

Lois gave him a small and uncomfortable smile. "Big fan of flowers, huh?"

Oliver chuckled. "Call me old fashioned." He then hugged Lois, taking her by surprise. "Thank you for yesterday."

Clark kept watching them, breathing heavily. Lois tried to avoid his gaze, but couldn't resist to look back at him. She had to do something. "Oliver, we need to talk."

"Ok –" Without waiting for his response, she grabbed his arm and left the house through the kitchen door.

Clark lowered his head after they left. Raya approached him. "Anything wrong, Kal-El?"

He flashed a fake smile. "No. Not at all."

Raya looked suspiciously at him.

Outside the house, Lois had her eyes closed, taking deep breaths. Oliver looked worried. "What did you want to talk to me?"

She opened her eyes. "We need to talk about us. What you're expecting from me."

The smile he was wearing earlier disappeared completely. "This doesn't end with a kiss at the end, does it?"

Lois gave him an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, Oliver. I really wanted us to work out. It's just the way my life is going –"

"And you don't feel I'm more than just a friend."

She stared at him, shocked. She then nodded shyly. Oliver nodded back, his head was lowered, but his pain was visible. He turned to leave.

"Oliver, don't go, please. Stay for the Thanksgiving dinner, at least," Lois spoke.

He finally looked at her, the sadness in his eyes hurting her even more. "I can't, Lois."

"I don't wanna lose your friendship," she said, teary-eyed.

Oliver gave her a warm smile and then kissed her forehead. "You won't."

Lois watched as he left, releasing the breath she was holding and fighting the tears that threatened to fall.

After several minutes, she finally headed back to the house. "Where's Oliver?" Chloe asked.

"He left." She hesitated, realizing Clark's eyes and ears were on her. "We decided to be just friends."

"Oh, Lois, I'm sorry to hear that," Chloe said, hugging her cousin. Lois looked at Clark, his gaze was intense, but she couldn't decipher if he was happy or sad for her after hearing the news.

An hour later, after Lionel, the last guest, arrived, everyone took their seats at the table. Clark and Lois, who was sitting next to him, kept exchanging glances and even occasional smiles.

He then looked at his mother, receiving a proud smile. "If I could have everyone's attention… Please. Um, I'd like to make a little announcement. Um... Our family has a tradition that goes back way before I was even born... Where everyone takes a moment to say what they're most thankful for in their lives." Clark and Lois looked at each other, smiling. Raya took notice of this and smiled, too.

"Uh… I would just like to say that I'm most thankful for my mom and dad... Whose faith in me taught me to have faith in myself. Thank you." Martha looked touched as Lionel looked guilty. Clark smiled at her.

Everyone applauded the speech.

"Let's eat," Lois spoke.

Clark carved the turkey. He watched as Lois and Raya chatted happily, Martha laughed with Lionel, and Chloe received a text from Jimmy. Lois noticed his satisfied green. "You look happy."

"That's because I am."

"That was a great speech, by the way."

"Thanks."

Meanwhile at Luthor mansion, Lana and Lex were celebrating Thanksgiving in a large table, just the two of them sitting at opposite ends of the table, with a small group of waiters serving them. Lana looked miserable, while Lex was oblivious to it.

"You haven't said a word all night. Is everything okay?" Lex asked.

"Everything's fine," Lana replied, flashing a fake smile.

Lex raised a wine glass and Lana did in turn. "Happy Thanksgiving," he said.

They kept eating, the silence and distance dominating the room.

-º-

The next day, Raya was getting ready to leave. "I'm really going to miss you two. And Martha, and Chloe," she said, tears starting to appear on her eyes.

"You still can stay," Lois retorted. "I didn't even take you to a Monster Truck rally. And I really need a flight teacher."

Raya smiled at her. "You'll learn by yourself someday. And when you do, make sure to teach Kal-El."

Lois hugged her. "You got it."

Clark rolled his eyes.

Raya looked at him. "You take care of yourself and Lois, Kal… Clark. Accept your destiny, be the one that the humans look up to."

He nodded, giving her a smile. They hugged. "I'm gonna miss you, too," Clark said.

Raya took a deep breath. "Time to go, I think. I promise I'll come back to visit you, and when I do, I hope you two have worked it out." With that, she flew into space, grinning from ear to ear.

Lois frowned. "What did she meant by that?"

Clark blushed. "I have no idea." He cleared his throat. "Lois…"

"How about we go and do some exercising with my powers? Now that there's no danger of heart attack, I can test my limits,"she interrupted him.

She was avoiding the almost kiss subject, and he knew that. He'd respect it, though. He'd give her space, give her time to think things better. He'd wait until the time was right. This, whatever they had going on, deserved that.

"Okay," Clark nodded. "You're faster than a speeding bullet. More powerful than a locomotive. Let's see if you'll be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound."

Lois smiled cockily at him. "Bring it on!"


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

A week had passed since Clark and Lois almost kissed. Clark hadn't tried to talk to her about it, and for that Lois was thankful. Their days of training and talking hadn't passed by without its awkward moments, though. Hands touching, the way he looked at her, all of it sent shivers down her spine.

She couldn't deny something was going on between them. She realized Raya saw it, too. But Lois couldn't explore those feelings. Not yet. She was getting used being kryptonian and she just had sort of broke up with Oliver.

Lois took a deep breath as she arrived at the farm. Another day of training and another day which she hoped the almost kiss wouldn't be mentioned. She headed to the barn where Clark was.

She stopped at the sight in front of her. He was working at the truck, shirtless. She gazed at the muscles of his back, the movements of his arms showing its toned form. Suddenly, her eyes started to get hot. Realizing it was the heat vision, Lois blinked a couple of times to try to regain control of the situation, managing it. "Wow, that's new," she said, surprised.

Clark heard her voice, turning around. He smiled widely at her.

Lois breathed hard as she saw his bare chest and abs practically pointing at her. There was a little of oil on his body. She just couldn't stop drooling at it. Her eyes went up and then she saw his grin. Big, inviting, beautiful. It made her weak at the knees.

Clark frowned at her standing there motionless. He then approached her. "Are you okay?"

Lois gulped at his muscled body near her and then looked up, trying to focus on his question. "I… I… Uh… I am. Um… Err… Are you posing for the farmers annual calendar?" She gave a weak laugh.

Clark looked puzzled. He looked down his body and realization dawned on him. "Oh. I… My shirt got ripped when I was working on the truck."

"You shoul… You should put a shirt on before we start our training."

He nodded. "I will. I'm just gonna finish fixing the truck."

Lois watched as he walked back to the barn. She bit her lower lip watching him fixing the machine, completely focused on it. It was a torture to her inhibitions.

-º-

Lois was at the door of her apartment, ready to get in. One day had passed since the shirtless incident. She went to the farm for another day of training, but Clark wasn't there. She called him and he explained he was looking for a new Zoner. She offered to help him, but he turned her down.

As she entered the apartment, she saw Chloe sitting on the couch working on her computer. "Hey," Lois greeted.

"Hi."

The mood had been awkward between them. Chloe asked Lois more than once about what was happening to her, and Lois refused to say. After talking to Clark, Chloe had stopped asking, but Lois could see in her cousin's eyes she was hurt that Lois was keeping something from her.

"Shouldn't you be working at the Daily Planet right now?"

"I'm helping Lana with something. Lex's missing."

Lois looked surprised. "Are you sure he just isn't in one of his evil companies killing puppies so he can have a hair?" Chloe raised an eyebrow at her. "Sorry."

"Uh, I have to go back to work," Chloe said. She got up and started to pack her stuffs.

Lois took a deep breath. "Chloe…" The blonde turned around to look at Lois. "Can we talk?"

"I… I can't. I'm kind of busy right now," Chloe replied, uncertain.

Lois nodded. "It's okay," she said, giving her cousin a small smile.

Chloe opened the door, but stopped. She then sighed and turned around to face Lois, smiling. "You know what? You're way above Lex in my priority list."

Lois's smile grew wider. Chloe closed the door and then both of them sat on the couch.

"So…" Chloe was waiting, a little impatient.

Lois took a deep breath. "Do you remember the LuthorCorp jet that crashed with me and Mrs. K in?"

Chloe nodded. "Yeah."

"I almost died there, Chlo. The only reason I'm alive today is because of Jor-El."

Chloe's eyes opened widely. "What?"

"Clark's biological father. Kryptonian father. The one that's inside of the Fortress of Solitude."

"You… You know?!" Lois nodded. "How long?"

"Over a month."

"Oh." Chloe pondered the new information. A lot of things started to make sense, but there was something that didn't. Clark's secret didn't explain Lois's odd behavior she'd been seen lately. "There is more, isn't it?"

Lois nodded, looking down. She then looked back at her cousin. "Clark's father didn't just save me, he changed me."

Chloe looked puzzled, starting to get worried. "What do you mean?"

Lois closed her eyes, trying to find strength on herself to say it. She opened her eyes and took a deep breath. "I am… I'm…" She drew another breath. "I'm a kryptonian now, too."

Lois watched nervously as Chloe froze. She kept swallowing hard waiting for her cousin's response.

"How? How's that possible?"

"Jor-El injected kryptonian's cells into my body. They liked there and made themselves at home," Lois gave Chloe a weak smile, trying not to show that herself was still trying to accept her new reality.

"Is it permanent?" Chloe asked, tears starting to form on her eyes.

Lois only nodded.

"How are you dealing with it?"

A tear rolled down Lois's cheek. "Accepting it. Clark's been helping me with it, training me. He's been a really good friend."

Chloe hesitated. "Why did you wait so long to tell me? I know this was hard for you, but I could have helped, be there for you."

"I know you could. The problem wasn't you, it was me." Lois took another breath. "When my powers started to develop, you were the first person I went to tell about it, but you were busy." Chloe looked guilty. "I'm not blaming you, okay? I was feeling so lost, lonely at that moment, I just needed someone to talk. And then I confided in Mrs. K. At the time I thought it was just a case of meteor freak."

She continued. "After Clark explained what was happening to me, I don't know, I just kept postponing our talk, hoping it'd be temporary and soon I'd get back to normal. It was only after Jor-El announced it was irreversible that I knew I had to accept it. But I was scared to tell you, of you seeing me differently. I know you accepted Clark, but this is me, your family. I feel like a whole different person now."

"Lois, I don't see you –"

"I know, Chlo. Deep down I always knew." Tears rolled down Lois's cheeks. "I'm the one who have to accept it, to still feel like I belong to this family even when everything about me says otherwise.

Tears also started to roll down Chloe's cheeks. "Oh, Lois. You'd still be my family even if you were green and had antennas on your head." They hugged, smiling slightly.

After a couple of minutes, they pulled away, both of them wiping the tears with their hands. "There's something else," Lois spoke.

"What?"

"The minute I decided you should know about me, I knew my father and sister deserved the same."

Chloe looked concerned. "Are you sure?"

Lois nodded. "I'll keep Clark's heritage out of the story. I don't know when, or what exactly I'm gonna tell them, nor even how they're gonna react, all I'm sure of right now is that it's the right thing to do."

Chloe nodded. "I'm here for whatever you need, Lois. I'll support whatever you decide."

Lois smiled. "Thank you."

Chloe smiled back. "Tell me about you powers. Show me them."

"Ok –"

There was a knock on the door. Chloe went to answer it. "Lana."

"Chloe. I went to the Daily Planet to talk to you but you weren't there. I found out who kidnapped Lex. He was –" Entering the apartment, Lana realized someone else was there. "Lois, hi."

"Hey," Lois replied, a little uncomfortable. "Chloe told me about what happened to Lex. I hope you find him."

"Thanks," Lana smiled, grateful.

Chloe looked at Lois. "You don't mind if we continue our talk later, do you?"

Lois shook her head.

Chloe smiled at her and then looked back at Lana. "Let's go to the Daily Planet. Jimmy was following some leads, he might have something for us."

Lana nodded. She said goodbye to Lois as she and Chloe left the apartment.

It was weird for Lois seeing Lana after what almost happened between her and Clark. So far her reasons to avoid the talk with him hadn't included Lana. But now her mind was filled with the most hard question. Was she just Clark's rebound girl?

Lois sighed. She had no idea of what to do.

-º-

"My mom told me you were waiting for me," Clark spoke as he arrived on the loft of the barn. He had just arrived from Seattle where he found another Zoner.

"Yeah," Lois said, a little hesitant. "How it all went? I was worried."

His lips curled into a smile. "You were worried about me?"

Lois shot him a look.

He chuckled. His face then turned serious. "The Zoner was defeated."

"Good. One less bad guy to worry about."

"Not by me."

Lois frowned. "How so?"

"I was on the verge of being killed, but then a man sort of burnt the Zoner with his hand. He then flew away."

"Flew? Smallville, we really need to learn to fly." Clark was quiet, pondering something. "There is something bothering you, isn't it?"

Clark turned around to look at the stars, taking a deep breath. "The way that Zoner killed his victims, it was so inhuman. I wanted to stop him as soon as possible, but the crystal didn't work. That man saved my life, other people's life, I'm just not sure if kill the Zoner was the right answer."

Lois put a hand on his shoulder. "I don't have the answer for it either, Smallville, but it wasn't you that made that decision. You can't blame yourself for something you didn't."

Clark turned around to face her. "It's not about it. I just wonder if when the time comes, I'll have to fight against people who want the same thing I do, but uses their own laws to do it."

"When the time comes, you'll know what to do. Hopefully, by the time it happens you'll start including me in your fights."

They stared into each other's eyes, Clark's hands were touching both of Lois's arms, his thumb stroking it. "You shouldn't see what I saw, Lois."

Lois looked frustrated. "I'm the daughter of a man of war, Clark. Believe me, I saw a lot of ugly things."

"Did you ever see a man without his skeleton? Did you ever see the fear in someone eyes about to have his back broken by another man twice his size?" Clark tightened his grip on Lois's arm. "Can you imagine the fear in someone's eyes seeing a person he cares about in a situation like that?"

Lois's face softened at what she was seeing. Hesitation. Was Clark afraid of letting her in? Losing her? How much did she really mean to him? She put a hand on his chest. "I won't leave you alone, whether you like or not," she said, giving him a warm smile.

"I hope you don't." He put his hand over hers. They kept gazing at each other, breathing heavily. Lois then freed her hand abruptly.

Lois swallowed hard, avoiding his eyes, which were looking for hers. "Um. I told Chloe about me."

"You did?" Clark looked surprised.

"I did," Lois nodded. "She took it well."

Clark smiled. "I'm happy for you both."

The silence dominated the place. "Well, uh… I guess I should get going. Good night," Lois started to leave.

"Wait." Clark grabbed her hand before she could climb down the stairs. Lois looked at his hand holding hers and then at him, confused. He let go of her hand. "What do you say if we go somewhere to eat tomorrow?" She stared at him with wide-open eyes. "It's not a date. Just something… Like a date," he added, nervously.

Her heart beat a mile a minute, it felt like it'd pop out of her chest at any moment. "I can't. I… I'm busy tomorrow with… I have lots of papers to analyze. Sorry," she lied. She wasn't ready. "Maybe some other day."

Clark nodded, disappointed. "Maybe."

Lois practically ran out of the barn. A thoughtful Clark turned around to look back at the stars, oblivious to a man watching him from afar with a box of Oreos in his hand.

-º-

Almost two weeks later, things between Lois and Clark had cooled down. There were times that they wanted to talk about their situation, but neither of them had the courage to do so. Lois, especially, would go out of her way to pretend nothing had happened. The truth was, both of them were still confused regarding their feelings for each other.

They were training Lois's heat vision with Frisbees. Clark was throwing them far in the air as Lois hit them with her power. So far she hadn't missed any. "You're really good at it."

"Mama knows," Lois smiled cockily. "Step up your lessons, master El."

"Well, there's only one thing left for you to learn."

Lois sighed. "Super breath –"

"Arctic breath."

"This power isn't my thing, I tell you."

"C'mon, you just need practice." Clark took off his jacket and held it loosely. "I want you to blow it out of my hand."

Lois positioned herself in front of Clark, a couple of meters away from him. She closed her eyes, trying to concentrate. She then opened her eyes and started to fill her lungs with air and blew it. Nothing.

Clark signaled for her to try again. She repeated the movements twice. Still nothing. "Forget it," Lois said, irritated. She turned to leave.

"Lois –"

"I said forget it," she said, glaring at him. She turned to leave again.

Clark sucked in his lips. He then blew air on Lois's hair, tousling the back of it. "Stop it, Smallville."

He blew again. "Do it."

"Stop."

And again. "Do it."

Lois turned around, teeth clenched, and then blew air in his direction. Still a regular blow. Clark was smirking, which was making her even more angry.

She closed her eyes, trying to regain focus. She took as much air as she could and then blew it. She opened her eyes to see Clark's jacket being thrown away and Clark trying to maintain his shirt on his body. Lois smiled from ear to ear.

His hair was messy, his facing showing clearly he was taken by surprise. Despite all that, he laughed. He was proud of her.

"I did it! All I need now is a cape and I'm good to go," Lois said, happy.

He gave her a smile. "Congratulations."

Lois looked him over. "You've been teaching me so much. I should teach you something, too."

Clark raised an eyebrow at her. "What exactly do you have in mind?"

"Fighting skills. I'm a third-degree black belt, I actually can teach you some moves."

Clark looked uncertain. "I –"

"No, I'll show you. Now, I want you to throw punches at me."

"What? No way."

Lois made an annoyed face. "I will start then." Lois started to throw punches at Clark, which she blocked with his arms. "You have reflexes. Good."

"And you're crazy if you think I will fight you."

She rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Training, not fighting." She then did a sweep kick, making Clark fall on his back on the ground. Clark got up and tried to grab her arms, but she grabbed his arm first and flipped him over her back, dropping him on the ground again.

"Poor Smallville. Pure muscle, no skill at all," Lois mocked.

Clark ruffled and got up again. "Very well. Come!"

They walked in circle, waiting for the moment one of them would lower the guard. Lois would eventually throw some kicks at Clark, which he blocked. She tried again, but this time Clark held her leg, trapping her. Lois gulped as he pulled her body closer to his and dropped her on the ground.

He lay on top of her, trying to trap her legs and arms. "You were saying?" His smile was confident.

"You can't beat the city girl, farm boy." Lois used her only free arm to take him off her and then flipped him onto his back. She winked at him.

Before she could try to trap him, however, Clark regained control of the situation and took her down, lying on top of her again. They started to giggle, both of them breathing heavily.

Clark stopped giggling when he caught sight of her face, inches away from his. She was so beautiful. Why did it feel like it was the first time he was seeing her?

Lois then realized the lack of Clark's voice. She opened her eyes to see his blue eyes looking at her. Beautiful, intense. Desiring her.

They were gazing at each other. They could feel each other's hot breath. Everything they'd done so far was leading to this. Clark promised he'd waited until the time was right. This was it. He then leaned in to kiss her.

His lips brushed hers slowly. It was sweet, shy. Enough to make Lois respond to it. She wanted more, though, but before she could demand more, Clark pulled away.

He looked at Lois, who was still trying to regain her senses. If she wanted to leave, now it was the time. She just kept looking at him, waiting for him, waiting for his lips back on hers. Without wasting any more time his lips crashed on hers again.

This time there was more passion, demand. His tongue parted her lips, looking for hers. Their tongues met and started to dance, making their owners moan in pleasure. Clark's warm lips then started to suck her lower one.

It felt good. It felt like the world and its problems didn't matter at the moment. They both wanted this kiss to keep going forever. Well, at least until Lois panicked. She opened her eyes abruptly and pushed Clark off her.

Clark looked dumbfounded as she got up and raised her hand to her forehead. "I… I…" She then superspeeded out of there.

Clark was breathing heavily, still trying to process what had happened. Words failed him at that moment.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

"Chloe, you said it was urgent. Anything wrong with Lois?" Clark, who had just arrived at the Talon, asked, worried. Two days had passed since he and Lois had kissed. They hadn't talked since it and every time Clark called her, she ignored it. He thought about knocking on her door, but restrained himself, realizing it was better to give her space.

Chloe frowned. "What? No." She sighed. "Have you seen the Daily Planet this morning?"

Clark looked puzzled. "No."

"Okay. God, I can't let you read this in the paper." She paused. "Lex proposed to Lana."

He looked surprised. "What did she say?"

"She hasn't given him an answer," she said, passing him the newspaper she was holding.

Clark looked at it with eyes wide-open. "It says here it's because of me. Is this true? Chloe?"

Chloe remained silent, but her face showed clearly it was true.

"It doesn't matter anymore," he said, giving the newspaper back to her.

"What?" She said, taken by surprise.

"A year ago it was me who proposed to her, and at the time I really believed we'd end up together. But here we are now, she's living with Lex and I'm… Uh, maybe what we had just wasn't meant to be."

Chloe was still surprised at his speech. She never thought she'd hear Clark giving up Lana. "Not that I don't see your point, but do you really think Lana can be happy with Lex?"

"It's her decision to make."

"Wow. What has caused all this change?"

Clark didn't reply, he just looked at the door of the apartment above the talon.

-º-

Clark had decided to stay at the Talon after Chloe left to work, hoping Lois would come down and bump into him. Unfortunately for him, she decided to live a reclusive life for the day.

He kept looking at his cell phone waiting for a text or call from her, anything. He then looked at the door of her apartment. So close. He was fighting against the will to go there and talk to her, about the kiss, about them. Feel her lips against his. But he was also scared that next time they see each other she'd reject him for good.

Why Lois had to be so complicated to deal with?

There's one thing he could try at least. "Lois, can you hear me?" He whispered, hoping her super hearing would pick up his voice. "Lois. Please."

Clark sighed, no response from her. He turned to leave, disappointed, when a man stopped in front of him. Lex. He looked at him with anger, resentment. Someone saw the article in the Daily Planet and didn't like it one bit.

Clark tried to walk away, but Lex had something else in mind. "You must be enjoying this, aren't you? Right now you must be thinking you can talk her out of making the biggest mistake of her life by marrying me."

Clark sighed, annoyed. He turned to face Lex. "No, Lex, I don't plan on convincing Lana of anything. Whether she decides to marry or not, it'll be her decision."

"I don't believe in you. I know you, Clark –"

"I don't have to listen to you," Clark said, turning to leave again.

"If you know what's good for you, you'll stay away from Lana!"

Clark angered and glared at Lex. "It must be eating at you that she's hesitating... Wondering why she hasn't given you an answer."

Lex had a serious expression on his face, but there was a hint of a triumphant smile on his lips. Clark was exactly where he wanted him to be. "I guess it would... If I didn't know what the answer was going to be. You see, I highly doubt she'll say no, Clark... Now that she's carrying my child."

Clark looked shocked as he watched Lex leaving the Talon.

-º-

Lois was sitting on the couch of the living room of her apartment staring at the newspaper in her hands. The article was none other than the news of the day, the love triangle formed by Lex, Lana, and Clark. She was almost relieved she hadn't started anything with Clark, it'd be awkward dating him and then read that his ex girlfriend was still in love with him. Or worse, her name included in this media gossip mess.

She had liked the kiss, though. A lot. It was gentle, passionate. It made her feel hot, wanting to give all of herself to him. But something inside of her made her stop it, and she had no idea what. Was she feeling guilty? Why? They're both single and right now the only kryptonians on Earth. Wasn't she sure of her feelings for him? She could try to deny her feelings for him, but her eagerness to kiss him again was saying otherwise. Was she actually afraid they would work? The guy who she had dismissed several times in the past, her best friend now, could he be the one who'd stay by her side until the end? What if he's just one more person in her life who'd left her behind? Could she face it?

Then, there was Clark. What was he thinking about the possibility of Lana still loving him? Was he thinking in getting back with Lana? What would happen to them if he does? What if the kiss actually meant something for him and he actually wants her? He had texted Lois, asking her how she was doing, that they needed to talk. They need to talk.

She wanted to scream, but being called the crazy lady upstairs wasn't in her plans.

There was a knock on the door. Lois looked unsettled, fearing it was Clark. She used her x-ray vision to see who was and sighed in relief, followed by a frown. She got up and answered it. "Oliver."

"Hey," the blonde man greeted her, smiling. Lois kept looking at him with a confused expression. "Uh, won't you invite me to come in?"

"Oh… Yeah. Of course. Come in," Lois said. Oliver entered the apartment. "It's weird you showing up like that. I've been trying to call you those past few weeks and you never answered it," she added, a little uncomfortable.

"Yeah… I'm sorry about that. I needed to clear my head… Forget you."

Lois closed the door of the apartment and crossed her arms. "You promise me we'd still be friends."

His smile grew wider. "And that's why I'm here."

She smiled back. "So we're good? No hard feelings?"

Oliver nodded. "We're good."

Lois went to sit on the couch, Oliver following her. He caught sight of the newspaper and picked it. "Wow, look at that. Lex must be pissed off. Boy scout, on the other hand… Do you think he'll go after her?"

Lois took the newspaper out of his hand forcefully. "You're not here to talk about Smallville's love life," she said, a hint of anger in her voice.

Oliver frowned at her. He then took a deep breath. "I'm really not. I came here actually to ask you to join my team."

"Your team?" Lois asked, puzzled.

"It's a group of super guys I've been working with those past months."

"And what exactly are you guys working on?"

"Uncovering secrets. Mostly involving Lex."

Lois heard the key word. "I'm in. When do we start?"

Oliver chuckled. "We're following some leads right now. I'll let you know when we're gonna need you."

She then realized something. "Wait, aren't you gonna tell Clark? He could help us."

He averted his eyes. "Clark and I don't exactly see each other eye to eye. He'd definitely be a great addition to our team, but I'm not sure he'd agree with our methods."

"You could ask him."

"Lois –"

She rolled her eyes. "You know, if you weren't so focused on competing which hero concept is the right one, you could actually be best friends." She then shrugged. "But hey, your team, your decision."

Oliver sighed. She had a point. The question was, could he and Clark ever work as true partners?

-º-

The next day, Clark was sitting on the couch of the loft looking at a picture of him and Lana and the article of yesterday. They went separate ways with nothing left but hurt. Was this the definitive end for them?

"Sorry that you had to find out like this," Lana spoke as she climbed the stairs.

"It's okay." Clark put down the newspaper and put the photo back in his yearbook. "You don't have to tell me every little detail of your life anymore."

Lana stepped closer to him. "Clark, we both know that a proposal is more than a little detail. And as messed up as it is... You were the first person that I wanted to tell."

Clark kept quiet.

"Clark, you said that you didn't love me anymore, and I tried to cut everything off, but I'm not made that way. Even if we're not talking, you are still a part of my life, and I'm not trying to deny it anymore. I'm trying to put it into perspective."

"I guess we both need to do that," Clark said, uncertain. He then took a deep breath. "I know about the baby. Lex told me."

Lana swallowed hard. "Does it change things for us?"

"No, things had changed between us way before it. This baby only proves it. I guess I'm finally ready to admit this is the end for Clark Kent and Lana Lang."

She looked hurt. "Are you sure?"

"For the first time in a long time, I know what I want to do."

Lana nodded, fighting back the tears. She started to leave, only stopped by Clark's voice. "I hope Lex makes you very happy." She then left without any more words.

Clark watched her leave, saddened by the whole situation. He went to sit back on the couch, pondering on what to do next.

-º-

Clark knocked on Lois's door, waiting nervously for her to answer it. Lois was in the kitchen when she heard it. Even without her superpowers, she could sense it was Clark. She hesitated to answer it.

After taking deep breaths, she approached the door. She might as well get over with it. "Who's it?"

"Uh… Clark."

She took another breath.

"I brought food. Tacos, from Mexico," he said.

She finally opened the door. She had barely eaten all day.

"Hi," he smiled shyly at her.

"Hey," she smiled back. She then pointed to the bag of food. "May I?"

He handed it to her. "It's all yours."

She took it and went to sit on floor of the living room. He sat there, too. "How… How have you been?" He asked.

"Fine," she replied, her mouth full. She then swallowed it. "You?"

"Good. I'm good."

"It must've been crazy for you yesterday… With that article and all, I mean," Lois said, trying to sound as cool as possible.

"A little."

"Are you kidding me? Your ex-girlfriend, who you love since forever –"

"I don't –"

"Was proposed by your worst enemy. She didn't say yes because she's still in love with you. That must've unsettled you."

Clark raised an eyebrow at her. "They've been together for a long time, it was natural Lex would eventually propose to her. Besides, what you don't know is that Lana is pregnant."

"What?" Lois was shocked. Clark nodded his head, his face was serene. "I'm sorry," she said sincerely.

"It took be my surprise at first, but I'm fine, Lois," he smiled at her, putting his hand over hers. She stared at him surprised. "Things had changed for her… And for me."

She retreated her hand and stood up. Clark got up, too. She started to head to the kitchen, but Clark grabbed her arm, stopping her. "We should talk about the kiss."

"When I want to talk about it, I'll send up a smoke signal," she replied, a little aloud.

She tried to free herself, but he tightened his grip. "Why are you running from it?" Clark asked, releasing her arm.

Lois sighed. "I just think we're spending too much time together and in the process we're seeing certain feelings that aren't real."

Clark laughed ironically. "This is not a real reason." Clark moved his head close to hers. "I like you. That's a real reason."

She stepped back. "Clark, we're in such a good place right now. Why mess it up with something that could be only attraction."

He stepped forward. "How do you know it's only attraction? Don't you have the curiosity to explore those feelings?" His gaze met hers. "We can be something great." He leaned in.

Clark then kissed her. She tried to fight against his soft lips on hers, but her desire to be consumed by them was stronger. He placed his hand on the back of her neck for support. His lips kept brushing hers, while his tongue gained access inside her mouth, finding hers. The intensity of that lip-lock made Lois's body grow hotter with lust.

Lois then broke the kiss. "No," she said, breathless.

"Lois –" Clark, also breathless, tried to calm her down.

"No, it's wrong. We shouldn't…"

"Lois, please."

She looked frightened. "I said no. Listen, it's better we end this now before we have a worst headache in the future."

He grabbed her arm, his eyes pleading. "You can't –"

"You should leave." Lois grabbed his arms and started leading him out of the apartment. "We shouldn't see each other for awhile. I'm sure after some time apart we'll come to our senses and laugh at this stupidity." She then slammed the door in his face.

She breathed hard and leaned her back against the door. She cursed herself for feeling bad at that moment. She closed her eyes, trying to regain focus, when her super hearing picked a song. A heart. It was beating fast, really fast. It was his. It was Clark's.

He was also leaning his back against the door and breathing heavily. The sound of her heartbeat, even faster than his, was all he was listening at that moment.

The sound of his heart started to soft Lois. He wanted her as much as she wanted him. He was scared as her. Why run from it at all?

She opened the door of her apartment. "Clark." He turned to look at her, his body trembling. "This is really happening, isn't it?"

He nodded, shyly.

She smiled slightly and then jumped into his arms, kissing him hard. Her hands cupped his face, while his arms tightened around her waist. Her tongue tasted his lips before it found his tongue.

"Careful next time you jump on me, you can tackle me now," he joked during kisses.

"I could tackle you with or without powers."

He smiled. "I bet so."

They kept kissing and smiling, enjoying their moment. They were still unsure of what the future reserved for them, but they'd face it together, stronger than ever.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Lois was in front of the mirror in her bedroom putting on a light lipstick. Tonight was her first date with Clark. She was wearing a fitted red dress, cut above the knee, which let pretty clear the killer body she had. Clark was a lucky man.

The door of the apartment opened. "Lois?" Chloe called, surprise in her eyes. Her cousin turned around to look at her. "You have a date?"

Lois gasped. She and Clark agreed on enjoying their new relationship before breaking the news to their family and friends. "I… I do."

Chloe smiled. "Who's the prince charming?"

"He's tall, handsome, and very mysterious. Sorry, cuz, no more information for now," Lois said, winking at her.

Chloe frowned. "He's not picking you up here?"

"Uh… No. You know the protocol, two cars at the beginning of the night, no drama at end of it," Lois lied.

Her cousin nodded uncertain. Lois's super hearing then picked Clark's voice calling her. "Uh, Chlo, I gotta go. Bye." She kissed the blonde's cheek.

"Bye. Have fun!"

"Thanks!" Lois hurried out of the door. She stopped when she spot Clark outside the Talon. "What are you doing here? I thought we'd meet at your barn and then go to our date."

He stood there gazing at her, mesmerized by the way her hair fell over one shoulder and her eyes sparkled.

Lois frowned. "Smallville? Anything wrong?"

"You… You look beautiful," he said, not taking his eyes off her.

She blushed. "You look great, too." Clark was wearing a dark blue jacket with a long sleeved grey shirt beneath it and a pair of jeans. He smiled at her. "So, where are we going?"

"Well, I assumed you wouldn't wanna go to a fancy restaurant."

"You guessed right, Mr. Kent."

"And I really don't think diner is the place for a first date..."

"Actually –"

He took something out of his pocket. "So I bought us tickets to a carnival in Illinois."

Lois looked surprised. "Oh."

"You didn't like it?" Clark asked, disappointment in his voice.

"No, it's not that. I loved it. We're not having this date to get to know each other, we just wanna have fun together. It's perfect. It's just…"

Clark knitted his eyebrows. "What?"

Lois gave a shy laugh. "I dressed imagining we'd go to a place to eat." She took a breath. "No problem. I'll just go upstairs and change clothes. I'll be quick, I promise."

Before she could leave, Clark grabbed her arm. "Don't change, I like what you're wearing."

"Clark, I can't run in heels and dress."

"I can take you there," he smiled, shyly.

Lois raised an eyebrow at him. "Seriously?"

He put his hands on his pocket and raised his shoulders. "If you don't mind."

Lois pondered it, and then nodded. "Fine. I'm not in the mood to change my dress, anyway."

His lips opened in a big smile. When he was about to take her in his arms, he caught sight of her face, close to his. Without thinking, he kissed her. She was quick to respond to it. He bent his head and brushed her lips with his own as his tongue worked its way inside her mouth. After a few seconds, he broke the kiss reluctantly.

Regaining the control, Lois looked at Clark, who was expecting for her reaction, with a serene expression. "If anyone saw us, you're dead."

Clark chuckled. "Don't worry. Chloe's working on her computer and we're alone out here." He then took her in his arms and superspeeded them to their date.

-º-

Clark and Lois arrived at the carnival in a matter of seconds. "Funny, it's the first time you ever carried me, isn't it?"

Her remark surprised him. "Yeah, I think it is. Our first time, then."

"Looking forward to my turn," she smirked.

Clark rolled his eyes. "Where do you want to go first?"

"How about the ferris wheel?" Lois said, pointing to it.

He smiled. "Sounds great to me."

They reached the line, and after waiting a few minutes they got in. They took their seats and then the wheel started to rotate. Stuck in that tiny space and with uncertainty if they could touch each other arose an awkward silence between them.

The wheel stopped, their seats at the top. Lois looked at Clark, who was looking everywhere but her. She then looked at the sky. "It feels so good up here."

Clark finally looked at her.

She looked back at him. "I can't wait to start to fly. To feel it every day," she said, smiling.

"I wish I could teach you."

"I don't get it. Why it's so difficult for you to fly, while someone like Raya, who just got her powers, already did?"

"I really don't know," he gave her a tight-lipped smile. "It's funny, actually. Years ago, when I had no idea I could someday have this power, I had fear of heights. I was afraid that somehow, having all those powers growing inside of me, I'd fall from the skies and realize I wasn't as invincible as I thought."

The wheel started to move again.

"And now you know you're much more than that. You overthink too much, Smallville."

Clark laughed. "Says the woman who ran from me every time I wanted to talk about us."

Lois shot him a look. "I'm allowed to have doubts." Her face then softened. "Friends to lovers isn't an easy transition."

He nodded. "I agree. But this, us, is something worth fighting for," he grinned at her.

She smiled briefly at him before looking back at the sky. "I know."

After a couple more of rides, they left the toy. Clark spotted a cotton candy machine. "Do you want some cotton candy?"

Lois nodded.

"I'll be right back."

As Clark left, Lois checked on her cell phone. There was a message from Oliver.

" _I have a job for you. Talk to you tomorrow."_

Lois was excited to do it, to finally make a difference with her powers. But she was also feeling guilty for hiding it from Clark. She hated Oliver's stubbornness, but she'd respect his decision.

"Here," Clark arrived with the cotton candy, the smile on his lips as big as his heart. Loveable as he was.

Lois put the cell phone back in her purse and then grabbed the cotton candy. She used her free hand to hold his, surprising him. They walked around the park hand in hand as she ate her candy.

"That one," Lois said, pointing to a high striker. "I think I'll test my strength."

Clark raised an eyebrow at her. "Don't you think it's a bit of unfair?"

"Relax, I'll just use ten percent of my strength," she winked at him.

Clark looked around trying to find something else for them to do. He smiled when he found it. "I have a better idea." He grabbed her arm and led her there.

"A photo booth?" Lois sounded surprised.

"Yeah. The best way to keep memories of our first date."

"Hmm. That's actually a good idea."

They entered the phone booth and took their seats. Their first picture had them hugging and smiling as they looked at the camera. In the second one, they decided to take a picture as they gave each other a peck on the lips. The next one had them sticking out their tongues, while they made silly faces. And, finally, in the forth photo, they messed each other's hair and laughed happily.

They left the booth and grabbed the photos, looking at it fondly. "We look good together," Lois said, smiling at him.

He looked at her and smiled back. "Yeah, we do."

They kept walking until they found another booth to play at. They found a target shooting one. Lois grinned instantly.

She took a shotgun and positioned herself. She hit the first target right away. "Should I tell them I'm a pro?" She whispered to Clark.

"Just show them how it's done," he winked at her.

Lois soon hit all the targets, not missing even one. "Which one do you want?" The owner of the booth asked, pointing to the prizes, clearly impressed by Lois's ability.

"The white dog teddy bear," Lois said.

The man frowned. He expected her to pick one of the bigger teddy bears, not such a common one. He handed it to her.

"For you," Lois offered the toy to Clark.

He knitted his eyebrows. "What?"

"This is Krypto. We made a deal that your next dog would be named that and now I'm honoring it."

Clark took it. "You remember that?" He asked, astonished.

"Those powers gave me an incredible memory. I remember now things like giving my little sister milk and bread because I had burnt the eggs. And the time I pulled a boy's hair because he kept bugging the kids in the school."

Clark gave her a warm smile. "Thank you."

She nodded, a little unsettled by the way he was looking at her.

Their next stop was at the ring toss game.

"C'mon, Smallville. It's your turn to play."

"Lois, I don't think it's –"

"Shh, I don't wanna hear it." She dragged him in front of the booth. "Now play. And I want a victory, handsome." She patted him on the back.

Clark sighed. He really didn't feel comfortable competing against people he could easily defeat. It was the happiness on her face, however, that convinced him to do it. It was all he wanted for this day. What was it in her that made him feel so free?

One by one, the rings he threw landed on the neck of the bottle. He received a peck on his cheek from Lois for the victory.

He surprised Lois when he picked a big teddy bear as his prize. "Uh, Clark, this is a little too much for me," she told him.

Clark had a cocky smile on his lips. "Who said this is for you?"

Lois tilted her head, confused. Clark turned to the other side and got down on one knee. "Here, for you," he offered the teddy bear to a little girl who was watching him throwing the rings the entire time.

The girl looked at him motionless, shy. He nodded at her to take the toy. The little girl grabbed the teddy bear, thanked Clark, and ran to show it to her parents who were at the neighbor booth.

Lois had watched the scene amazed and with a proud smile on her face.

-º-

"That is a great hotdog," Lois spoke as she started to eat her food. They were sitting on a table near the hotdog truck.

Clark watched her, captivated. Lois caught him on it. She looked pensive. "Do you think we'd be here, together, if I hadn't change?" Lois asked.

Clark frowned. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, I changed. At least physically. From an acquaintance to your perfect mate change anyone's perceptions."

"Do you think we'd be together if you hadn't change?" Clark retorted.

"Touché." She took a breath. "I'm not trying to run from this, okay? I just want to understand where the old Lois would fit in here. Like, if you and old me started to date what would stop you from breaking up with her the same way you did with Lana? What the new me offers you that they don't?"

He was taken aback by her question. "I… Uh…" He was having difficulty to find the right words. He then took a deep breath. "When I broke up with Lana, I was so confused. The most recent events, including my father's death, made me believe there wasn't a future for me and her. Or with any other woman, for that matter. But I knew deep down I couldn't live thinking like that forever."

"Lois, I didn't start to see you differently because you're kryptonian now. You hadn't changed, you're still the same joyful and brave woman, even after everything that happened to you." Clark touched her hair. "What really changed is that you let me in. I let you in. We got closer, we discovered feelings that had always been there. If you were you old you, it'd probably take some time to reach all those things, but I like to believe we'd still have this, no matter what."

Lois smiled shyly. "I like to believe that, too."

"Alright, lovebirds," the band in the background spoke into the microphone. "I want to see the boys take their girls to dance for our next song."

Clark beamed and looked at Lois. He tilted his head, suggesting going there. Lois shook her head, although amused. Refusing to take no for an answer, Clark stood up and extended his hand. She sighed and took his hand. They joined the other couples dancing.

Clark placed his arms around Lois's waist as she put her arms around his neck. Their feet moved together at a slow pace. They gazed lovingly into each other's eyes with a small smile on their lips.

Involved by the song, they kissed. In this romantic and passionate kiss, the outside world and its sounds didn't matter. Their warm lips, wet tongues, the sounds coming out of their mouths, it was what they cared about in that moment.

They pulled away a couple of minutes later. They kept dancing and grinning endlessly.

-º-

Clark and Lois arrived late in the night at the Talon. "I had fun tonight," Lois told him.

"Me too."

They kept looking at each other, not sure of what to do next. Lois then reached her purse and took something out of it. "I think you should take our pictures with you. Chloe and I pretty much share the closet, so she'd easily find it."

Clark looked at pictures. "I'll take it with me if you take Krypto with you. You know, my mother might find odd I brought a teddy bear home."

"Okay." They traded it. "Uh, I think I should get in."

Clark nodded reluctantly. "Yeah."

They took awhile to break their gaze. "Well, good night," Lois said.

"Night. See you tomorrow," Clark flashed a megawatt smile at her.

"See you," she smiled back.

Clark watched as Lois entered the Talon and closed the door. He started to leave, still smiling to himself. He definitely felt he was a lucky man.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Wearing a Black leather costume, the upper part of the costume having a sweetheart neckline and her arms bared, coupled with thigh-high boots, eye mask and a brown wig, Lois entered a LuthorCorp facility. This was her second mission in Oliver's group, the first in costume.

Arriving at an empty corridor, Lois caught sight of a camera and quickly fried it with her heat vision. She then started to use her x-ray vision to locate what she was looking for. "C'mon, lab, where are you?" She kept looking and then scoffed when she found it. "Underground. Typical."

She pondered about what to do next. Should she use her super strength to break in or should she try to get in without making any noises? The second one sounded better. To get to the lab, Lois had ahead of her two guards coming to check on the fried camera, three in the next corridor, and three more in front of the elevator. On the floor underground, there were two guards and four scientists.

Lois used her superspeed to reach the elevator, passing unnoticed through the first guards. She hid in a corner near the elevator, waiting for someone to take it.

A guard approached and leaned his head to the retinal scanner. As he entered it and the door started to close, Lois whooshed to there. After the door closed, the guard kept looking at the door attentively, oblivious to Lois's presence. With a cocky smile on her face, she raised her hand and with the tip of her pointer finger, she knocked the guard out. "Thanks for teaching me that, Smallville."

Once the door opened, Lois quickly hid the unconscious guard behind some equipment in the corner of the floor. She looked around it, two guards protecting the door of the lab and four scientists inside. She thought about waiting until the guards left the door, but she realized that soon they'd notice the missing guard and they'd realize that the fried camera wasn't just a faulty equipment.

Lois then appeared behind the guards, knocking them out the same way she did with the other guard. She took one of their cards and opened the door of the laboratory. "Alright, listen up smart guys," she said, making the scientists look at her with a mix of scared and surprised expressions. "I am looking for two blood samples. Numbers 096759857 and 097693849."

"I don't know what you're talking about," a woman said, her voice trembling.

Lois sighed. "Of course you do. Now, c'mon, I don't have all day."

A man, bigger than Lois, approached her, feeling confident. "What if we don't obey you?"

She rolled her eyes and then blew some very expensive equipment out of the table, dropping it on the floor. "I will destroy this whole lab. How that sounds to ya?" She gave him a devilish smile.

Frightened, the man backed down. Another woman pointed to the fridge where the blood samples were kept. "Thank you," Lois said as she headed to there. She started to look for it when a gunshot was heard. She turned around and looked at the floor, where she saw a crushed bullet. She looked at it and then looked up, astonished. "Did you just shoot me?"

The woman who had shot Lois dropped the gun on the floor, her eyes wide-open. The alarm of the building then went off.

"Seriously?" Lois sighed. She then super-read the label on the tubes and took the ones she was looking for. "Not cool what you did, guys." She started to leave, smashing the gun with her foot on the way. Before the guards could arrive there, Lois super leaped to the roof of the building, opening holes in the ceilings in the way, leaving the scientists watching open-mouthed. "Stiletto to Green Arrow. I got it."

Lois super leaped from a building to another until she reached Oliver's penthouse. He was there waiting for her. "Ollie," Lois greeted him.

"Legs," Oliver greeted back. "The samples?"

Lois reached her boots, taking the tubes out of it. "Here." She gave it to him. "Wouldn't it be easier if I destroyed that lab with all the experimentation and documentation they had in there?"

Oliver shook his head. "Not yet. I'll send those to be analyzed. What you did tonight will be enough to scare Lex and make him transfer this lab to his main one. Then we attack with full force."

"Whenever you're ready."

The door of the penthouse's elevator started to open. Lois try to sneak away, but Oliver grabbed her arm, signaling for her to stay. A young man in red came out of it. "Bart," Oliver spoke.

"Hey, man," Bart said. He then looked at Lois, from head to toe, smiling interested. "Hola, chica!"

Lois raised an eyebrow at him. "You are…?"

Oliver intervened. "Oh. Lois, this is Bart Allen. Bart, this is Lois Lane. You're both on my team."

They shook hands. "My eyes are up here, by the way," Lois warned.

"Yeah, I like tall women."

Lois looked at Oliver. "Is he for real?"

Oliver just laughed.

"So, Lois, what are you special at? Besides your looks, I mean." Bart asked.

"I'm very good at poker," she winked at him.

"Okay. How about I show you my power and then you show me yours?"

"That'll be fun," Oliver said.

Lois crossed her arms, smiling. "Let's see what you got."

A second later, Bart appeared behind Lois. "I just ran around you three times."

Lois chuckled and turned around to look at him. "Yeah, I saw it."

"What?" Bart asked, surprised.

In less than a second, Lois appeared in front of Bart with a cocky smile on her lips. "You're not the only one fast here, Speedy González."

Bart looked shocked.

"Ha," Oliver was having fun watching them. "Show him more, Legs!"

Lois grinned and nodded at Oliver. She held Bart by the shirt and lifted him off the floor.

"Hey, let me go," Bart tried to free himself, in vain. Lois then freed him. "Okay, I get it. You have cool powers."

"You don't even know the end of it."

"Don't have to. I know a guy with powers like you."

Lois looked at Oliver and back at Bart. "Have you suggested him to join Oliver's team?"

"Nah, I doubt he'd accept it. He's too straight up for stuff like that. He lives in a farm with his parents. I actually saw him today after I –"

"You don't happen to know Clark Kent, do you?" Lois asked, surprise all over her face. The same on Oliver's.

"What? Do you know him, too?"

Lois and Oliver exchanged looks before looking back at Bart and nodded. "Probably longer than you," Lois said.

"You said you saw him today. What happened?" Oliver asked.

"Remember that guy you asked me to follow, Dr. Casselli? He pointed a gun at a hot friend Clark has, she works at the Daily Planet –"

"My cousin Chloe."

"Chica, you just made my day. You tell me you have a sister and I start to call your family my heaven."

Lois chuckled. "I do have a sister."

"Can we go back to Bart's story?" Oliver intervened, a little impatient.

Bart cleared his throat. "Yeah, okay. Uh… So, I saved Chloe, and Clark arrived there right away. We played a little catch me if you can game. He couldn't. I said hello, anyway."

"Wait, how long it's been since you saw him?" Lois asked.

"About an hour ago."

"Oh. Damn it, I left my phone back home." Lois grabbed the bag of clothes she had left earlier in Oliver's penthouse. "I gotta go." She turned to leave.

"Wait," Oliver called her. "What's the hurry?"

"They must be wondering where I'm. We can't take the chance of them finding out about us, right?" Or her boyfriend finding out she's been hiding something from him.

"I guess," Oliver didn't sound so convinced.

Lois started to leave.

"Don't forget to give me your sister's phone number," Bart shouted, but Lois had already left.

"Do me a favor, Bart, next time you see Clark, don't tell him about me or Lois."

"My lips are sealed, amigo."

Lois reached her apartment, already in her regular clothes. When she got in, Chloe was on the couch working on her computer. "Where have you been? You left your cell phone here," Chloe said.

"Yeah, I forgot. I, uh, had some business to do."

"Well, you should call Clark. He wanted to talk to you."

Lois grabbed her phone. "I will. Thanks." She then went to her room and started to call Clark. He quickly answered it. "Lois, hey. I was wondering where you were."

"I was… Uh… I was in a meeting for your mother's campaign."

"That's weird. I asked my mother if she knew where you were and she said no."

"Uh… Err… It was unofficial." Lois then cleared her throat. "So, how that go in South America? Any lead on the Zoners?"

"No, no sign of any."

"They'll show up, eventually. They always do."

"I hope sooner than later. They're too dangerous to be out there." There was a silence on the line. "We haven't seen each other properly in a day. It feels like forever."

Lois looked quickly at Chloe, who was still concentrated on her notebook, and focused her attention back to the call, lowering her voice. "I miss you, too."

"How about we go somewhere to lunch tomorrow? Then we can do some harmless training," he said in a husky tone.

Lois smiled. "I'd like that."

-º-

Two days had passed since Lois's mission. She went to Oliver's penthouse after receiving a call from him. She got out of the elevator. "So, why did you call –" Lois paused after seeing that Oliver had companies. "AC?"

"Lois?" Arthur Curry sound as surprised as her. "What are you doing here?"

"What are you doing here?" Lois asked him, emphasizing the question. They hugged, happy to see each other.

"You two know each other?" Oliver asked, confused.

"We dated for like a day," she replied. "How do you know him?"

"Well, he's in our team, too. Him and Victor Stone," Oliver pointed to the black man next to AC."

Lois extended her hand "Hey, nice to meet you. My name is Lois Lane."

Victor shook it. "Nice to meet you, too, Lois."

"So you're on our team? What exactly you do?" AC asked.

"Well… Basically the same thing as Smallville."

AC looked surprised. "What?"

"It's a really long story…"

Oliver cleared his throat. "And we don't have time for that. I called you here because Bart went on a mission last night and I hadn't heard from him ever since."

"What happened?" Victor asked.

"Bart infiltrated a place that was supposed to house the mainframe for 33.1. I reconned the target this morning. The place had been stripped clean. Everything's gone. The whole thing was a setup."

"You should have handled me this mission. I'm way more resourceful than Bart."

"We can't risk you being caught by Lex."

"What can we do then?"

Before Oliver could answer, the intercom rang. Clark was waiting in the elevator. "Hide yourselves. I'll deal with him," Oliver said.

"No, it's going too far. Bart is his friend. They actually spent an entire morning in Mexico two days ago. He deserves to know what's going on."

"Yeah, man, Clark can help us," Victor said.

"You know Clark, too?" She asked, more curious than surprised.

"He saved me from Lex Luthor."

Lois smiled and looked back at Oliver. "Don't you see? Everyone here really loves Clark and hates Lex. We should be working together!"

Oliver pondered it and then sighed. "Fine." He authorized Clark's entrance.

Clark, who had discovered the connection between Oliver and Bart and was ready to confront the first one about it, stopped at the sight in front of him. "Lois? AC? Victor?"

Lois approached him. "Clark, before you –"

Too late, realization had downed on him. "It's not just Bart. You all are working for Oliver."

"Not for me. Working with me. There's a difference," Oliver retorted.

Clark ignored his remark and looked at Lois, disappointed. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I –"

Oliver intervened. "I asked her not to."

Clark glared at him. "They all will end up in jail or worse because of your little vendetta against Lex."

"It isn't some little vendetta. I'm doing this to stop 33.1."

Clark looked surprised. "You know about the 33.1?"

"Of course I do. And unlike you I don't wait for trouble to show up on your doorstep."

"That's not true."

"Then why haven't you done anything to stop 33.1?"

"I was busy with another problem."

"What could be more urgent than Lex Luthor developing an army of superfreaks, Clark? That's what he's doing. He's starting a war."

Clark's expression softened. "What have you found out?"

"Not enough. And to make matters worse, Lex got Bart."

"We have to find him."

Lois, AC, and Victor looked relieved, glad that the heated argument stopped.

"On it," Oliver replied. "AC, check the Luthorcorp manifests."

"Gotcha." AC went to check some papers. Victor did the same, while Oliver went to check some video images.

Lois approached Clark. "Are you okay?"

"We'll talk later," he replied, coldly.

Lois only nodded, hurt evident on her face.

"How long have you guys been working together?" Clark asked.

"I joined up about six months ago. Ollie and Bart had already been doing their thing."

"What about your girlfriend... Katherine?"

"Dude, don't even go there," AC spoke.

"She gave it her best shot. But with all this hardware in me..."

"I'm sorry, Victor," Clark said.

"Ollie found me, I was living on the streets. He gave me a warm meal, roof over my head... And a reason to go on living." Victor went to sit on the couch.

Clark and Lois smiled slightly at that.

Oliver approached AC, curious. "Did he just say something nice about me?"

AC laughed. "Maybe he's starting to rust."

"AC, how'd you fall into all this?" Clark asked.

"I got into a little trouble sinking a whaler off the coast of Japan."

"A little trouble? That's what you're gonna go with? Ollie had to save your scaly butt from getting filleted," Victor said.

AC tittered. "I would have gotten out of it."

"Oh really? Before or after they packed you into a thousand little tin cans?" Oliver mocked.

"Well, at least he would have been dolphin-safe," Victor added.

AC looked annoyed. "Fish jokes. That's all I ever get are fish jokes."

Clark gave him a tight-lipped smile, while Lois chuckled.

AC looked at Lois. "How about you, Lois, have you been seeing someone?"

Lois gulped. "Uh…" Both Clark and Oliver stared at her, interested in hearing her answer. "I… Uh… How about we focus on Bart, huh, boys?"

Oliver nodded. "She's right."

"And how exactly did you get him involved in this? He's never been much of a team player," Clark asked.

"Looks like you two have something in common, huh?" Clark looked at Oliver, not amused by his remark. "Actually, um, I was out on patrol in Star City one night, and I came across Bart. He was helping himself to a free meal. I could tell he was a good kid, you know? He just needed a little direction, so I offered him a job."

"Look where that got him."

"I underestimated Lex. It won't happen again." Oliver pressed a button, revealing a big screen with a map on it. Everyone gathered to look at it. "I've compiled a list of all LuthorCorp holdings within a 100-mile radius. Bart could be held in any one of those facilities."

Victor crossed his arms. "That's a lot of real estate to cover."

AC nodded.

Clark pondered it and then realization downed on him. "I think I know someone who can help us narrow it down."

-º-

Clark and Lois arrived at the entrance of the Daily Planet. "Great way to start a relationship, hiding something like this from me," Clark complained.

Lois angered. "Oh, just stop it. I couldn't tell you, alright? Oliver asked me not to, and I respected his decision. Besides, it's not like you include me in your business. You go to investigate Zoners in South America all by yourself and I can't do my own thing without asking you permission? Nice."

"It's not that –"

"Forget it, we don't have time for it." Lois entered the building. Clark followed her. They headed to Chloe's desk.

"You, Victor Stone and Arthur Curry are working for Oliver, too?" Chloe looked very surprised.

"Guilty," Lois gave her a uncomfortable smile.

"Yeah, Oliver's been busy. Is there anything in your LuthorCorp intel that can help us find out where Bart's being held?" Clark asked.

"I don't know." Chloe then remembered something and started to look at the papers on her desk. "Uh... Wait. When I had my feelers out for Dr. Casselli, I managed to shake loose some internal documents. In the last few days, there's been a flurry of equipment transfers to a place called the Ridge Facilities on the outskirts of Metropolis." She found the paper she was looking for and gave it to him.

"Doesn't LuthorCorp move equipment all the time?"

"This isn't just a couple of forklifts, Clark. Half a ton of lead shielding, electrical pressure plates, more than $20 million worth of equipment to measure high-velocity particles."

"It's Bart." Clark then passed the paper to Lois. "Take everything and bring it to Oliver."

"Okay. But you shouldn't go alone," Lois said.

"We don't have much time. I can't let anything happen to Bart." He then superspeeded to the facility.

Lois turned her attention to her cousin. "Okay, Chlo, give me everything you –"

"Let me go with you," Chloe said. "I can help you guys."

"Chloe…"

"If you're worried about Oliver's identity, don't be. It all makes sense now." Lois looked shocked. "The Star City – Metropolis connection, how much you helped me with that article, all of you guys working with him…"

Lois shook her head, chuckling. "You're good." Chloe grinned at it. "Let's go."

After Chloe packed everything she needed, Lois put her arm around her cousin's waist and wooshed them out of the bullpen.

-º-

The door of the elevator of Oliver's penthouse opened. "I brought help," Lois announced.

Oliver frowned. "Uh, Lois…"

"Don't worry, I know you're the Green Arrow. I figured out about your green-leather fetish on my lonesome. Your secret is safe with me, by the way. It's not like my cousin and my best friend are aliens, right?" Chloe smiled at him.

"AC, Victor, you can come out of the closet," Lois shouted.

Chloe laughed. AC and Victor appeared in the room.

"Guess we're not that good at the whole "secret" part of this yet," Victor said.

"Yeah, but you're great at getting caught by the villain," Chloe retorted. They both shot her a look. "Anyway, I think Bart's being held at a place called the Ridge Facility."

"That's down by the docks," AC said.

"It's on our list of possible 33.1 targets." Oliver went to check a schematic on the screen in the middle of the room. "All right, boys. And girl. You know the drill. Let's gear up and get out."

Lois, AC, and Victor turned to leave and change.

"Oh, no," Chloe said, worry in her voice.

"What now?" Oliver asked.

"Lead shielding. This isn't just for Bart. I think the Ridge Facility's being used to refine meteor rock. Clark's in trouble."

Lois's heart started to beat faster. "I'll go there."

Before she could leave, AC grabbed her arm. "Don't do the same mistake he did. Don't go alone."

"You're as much weak as him to kryptonite," Chloe added.

She nodded in defeat, despite her fear for his safety. They all suited up then.

"Wow, cuz. That's very… Wow," Chloe was amazed at Lois's costume.

Lois smiled. "Thanks. Oliver's tailor made this. Although Ollie first suggested it to be green," Lois remarked, disgusted.

They all shot Oliver a look. "Dude…" Victor shook his head in disapproval.

"What? I like green, and I think it would look good on her."

Lois rolled her eyes. "Keep dreaming, Peter Pan."

-º-

Lois took both Oliver and Victor with her to the Ridge Facility. "If things had worked out between us, I'd a very proud boyfriend," Oliver said.

Lois forced a laugh. She was getting more and more worried about Clark.

At the entrance of the facility, Oliver shot a knock-out gas dart, making two guards to fall unconscious on the ground.

Oliver put a hand on his ear. "Green Arrow to Watchtower. We're in position."

"Okay, there should be a security access panel near the east door. According to this schematic, you need to very carefully rewire the sys –"

"Or... I could just jack in and shut the whole perimeter down," Victor said.

Chloe smiled, amazed. "You can do that?"

"Queen Industries upgrade." Victor plugged in a wire from the access panel into his forearm and his eyes dilate, showing a computer display. "Accessing perimeter security." He closed and opened again. "Perimeter neutralized."

Oliver spoke again. "Aquaman, you're up."

AC came up from the water beneath the facility. "Perimeter breached. Proceeding to target." He then proceeded up a long ladder into the building.

Lois tore a huge steel door easily.

"You don't look happy," Victor pointed out.

"That's because I'm not," Lois said. She then stopped and started to use her super hearing, her chest hurting after she heard her boyfriend's voice. "Smallville is in pain. I'll go rescue him. You guys do what you came here for."

"You can't go there alone, you'll end up just like him," Oliver said.

"Don't worry, I have a plan," Lois winked at him. She then ran to where Clark was.

"Do you think there's something going on between them?" Victor asked.

"What? No, I don't think so. They are… They're just really good friends," Oliver replied. He couldn't help but start to wonder, though, if there was any truth in his friend's question.

Reaching the door, Lois restrained herself from going in right away. "Stiletto to Watchtower. Is the door lined with lead?"

"Yes. The door and the walls of the room are lined with lead."

Lois then realized that a guard was coming in her direction. She ran to where he was and quickly knocked him out. Back to Clark, and without further hesitation, Lois tore the door and stuck her fingers in it, planning on using it as a shield. She had to do it fast before the effects of kryptonite could affect her.

Lois took a deep breath and ran to grab him. She managed to take him out of the room without any problem. She then threw away the door and hugged him. "You pigheaded. You scared me."

Clark was still catching his breath. "I'm okay. You saved me," he said, smiling.

From afar, Oliver was watching them with a raised eyebrow. He left before any of them could see him.

Lois put her hand on her ear as Clark stood up. "Stiletto to Watchtower. I got Boy Scout."

Chloe smiled in relief.

Clark frowned. "Stiletto? Boy Scout?"

"Mine is only temporary. Oliver named yours and Bart's 'Impulse.' You're free to change it."

Clark looked her over. "What's up with the costume and the brown wig?"

"Disguise. You should try sometime. Which reminds me to ask, did anyone see you?"

"No."

"Good. Now take this." Lois handled him an earbud. "Watchtower will guide you to where Bart's being held."

"And where are you going?"

"Take the people out of this facility."

"Why?"

Lois smiled. "We're gonna blow up this place," Before he could say anything, she spoke again. "Now go! We don't have much time left." She then ran to another corridor.

"Watchtower to Boy Scout. Let's find Impulse," Chloe spoke through the ear piece.

Clark managed to save Bart. Oliver planted bombs around the facility and had a brief encounter with Lex. Lois put the unconscious guards far away from the building as the rest started to leave it after the alarm started to ring. AC and Victor hacked into the 33.1 mainframe. It was time to leave.

The building started to explode. "Wow" was all that Chloe could say seeing the images of it. At the entrance of the facility, the six heroes walked side by side as the explosion kept happening behind them, looking strong and confident. Clark and Lois front and center.

-º-

"That was different," Lois said, a genuine smile on her face. She and Clark were at the loft of the barn. "It was fun and exciting in a whole different level."

"Yeah, I had moments I could consider memorable in my life, but this one was really special," he said.

"I really wanted to tell you about it, you know? Sharing with you such an important thing for me."

"I know. And I should know better you wouldn't accept to be kept at arm's length. I guess I was just afraid this day would come, the day when you'd realize you don't need me anymore."

Lois looked at him with tenderness. "Oh, you big dumb alien, of course I need you. I'll always need you."

His lips curled in a smile. "Good, because I don't wanna lose you to those guys." Clark got down on one knee and took something out of his pocket.

Lois gasped.

"Lois Lane, will you fight crime with me?" In his hand, the Crystal of El.

Lois chuckled, she had not expected that. "Yes," she replied, a big grin on her face.

They hugged. "So should I start calling you Stiletto?" Clark asked.

Lois pulled away. "Oh no, please. It's just a temporary name. I actually picked this one because I was wearing it on one of our dates."

"For what it's worth I think you looked beautiful in that costume."

Lois blushed. "Sorry. Boots aren't good for running and neither leather is a good material for a superhero costume. Villain maybe, but not superhero."

Clark stepped closer to her. "You looked good in dark hair."

"Oh yeah? It's my natural color, you know?"

"It suits you."

Lois stepped back. "I could dye it back, if you prefer."

Clark stepped forward. "Would you do that for me?"

"I could do that for you."

He smiled and then his lips crashed against hers. They fell on the couch, giggling as they kept kissed.

-º-

"Okay. Thanks." Chloe was on the phone talking to a person from her work. "So the Daily Planet is running with the story that a gas explosion destroyed the 'vacant' LuthorCorp building down by the docks."

"Vacant? Looks like the Luthor cover-up machine is in full swing," Clark said.

"Did you expect otherwise?" Lois said, not the least surprised.

"Well, at least we got Bart out before Lex ran him into an early grave," Chloe said.

"Come on. No worries. I had plenty of juice left," Bart, who was eating a sandwich, told them, smiling.

"Could have fooled me, the way you cleaned out Mama Kent's fridge," Victor pointed out.

Bart slapped Victor's chest lightly with the back of his hand. "That's 'cause I like to stay fueled up." Bart superspeeded to sit on the spot next to Chloe. "Just in case I need to, uh, spring into action," he looked at her, flirty.

"I still have a boyfriend."

"Yeah. Well, a man can dream, can't he?"

"Now you know why we call him Impulse," AC joked.

"Impulse, Cyborg, Aquaman, Green Arrow, Stiletto," Clark used a mocking tone in the last one, receiving a look from Lois. "What do you guys call your team?"

Bart got up and started pacing. "I don't know. I've been thinking that we need something cool. We need something like, uh... Like, uh..."

"I was thinking about something with the word 'Justice' in it," Oliver, who had just arrived, spoke. "After all, that's what Lex is gonna get a big dose of. Victor and A.C. were able to hack into the 33.1 mainframe before we blew the building," he added, showing them a pendrive.

"That was your other mission," Chloe realized.

"Haven't met the computer yet I couldn't crack wide open," Victor said.

"What did you guys find out?" Clark asked.

"That Lex isn't satisfied playing in his own backyard anymore," AC replied.

"LuthorCorp is starting up divisions of 33.1 all across the globe. Wherever there's evidence of people with abilities, there'll be laboratories to do experiments on them," Oliver completed.

"We can't let that happen," Clark said, firmly.

"We won't."

"Aww, look at you two not arguing for once," Lois joked.

Oliver ignored her remark. "Team, our first target is a large facility on the island of Corto Maltese. You guys know the drill. Wheels up in 30 minutes. Get your gear."

"You coming, amigo?" Bart asked Clark.

"Yeah, you got to come with us, man," AC said.

"We could use the big guns," Victor added.

"They're right, you know... You'd be a major asset to the team," Oliver told him.

"I want to be a part of this, guys. I really do," Clark said.

"But..."

"That problem I told you about ... The one that I caused ... I have to take care of that first."

As the team gathered, they looked at Lois, who was standing next to Clark. "Lois? Aren't you coming?" AC asked.

She and Clark exchanged looks. She then took a deep breath. "Sorry, guys. I'll stay here to help Smallville with his problem."

Oliver saw a tiny smile forming on Clark's lips. He smiled slightly as realization downed on him. "This isn't the end of the story, Clark. This is just the beginning." They shook hands. He then whispered in Clark's ear. "You're a lucky man."

Clark looked surprised at Oliver. The blonde man smiled and nodded at him. Clark then did the same.

AC went to hug Lois. "It's a shame, I was looking forward to work with you."

"I promise you, we'll have plenty of time to do it in the future," Lois told him.

"I hope so."

"Bye, Legs. Chloe," Oliver said. "Come on, boys. Let's go save the world."

Clark, Lois, and Chloe watched as the four men walked away.

"You two have some pretty amazing friends," Chloe said.

"Yeah. We do," Clark agreed.

The three of them looked between each other, smiling proudly.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Lois and Clark were at the loft of barn, setting the table to have a romantic dinner. "This is it? Can we finally eat? I'm starving," Lois complained.

"You don't get starved. Not anymore. Impatient, on the other hand…" Clark said. Lois looked annoyed. He studied the table. "You know what is missing? Candles."

Lois raised an eyebrow at him. "We really don't need it."

Clark ignored her commentary. "I'll be right back." He then left the barn in the blink of an eye. Before Lois could even sigh, he returned. "We're outta candles in the house. I'll go buy some."

"Clark –"

"Stay right here." He then superspeeded to the closest market.

Lois shook her head in defeat and chuckled. This man couldn't be real. She then realized she wasn't alone in the loft. "What's wrong, Scooby? Do you think I'm coming between you and Shaggy?"

Shelby kept looking at her.

Lois got down on her knees and started to pet him. "Don't worry, the van is big enough for us three to hunt the phantoms."

Suddenly, Shelby started to bark, taking Lois by surprise. "What's it, Shelby?" She looked around, but there was nothing unusual. The dog kept barking. "Shelby?" Distracted by Shelby's yelp, Lois didn't realize that something was heading to her. It then attacked her, sending her falling down to the barn floor unconscious.

-º-

Lois opened her eyes, looking around confused. Instead of the dark of the barn, there were white walls. It looked like a hospital. Why was she here?

She needed to get out there before they find out what she is. When she tried to get up, however, she felt dizzy, weak. Her face showed a shocked expression. What happened to her? What happened to her powers?

A doctor and a nurse entered the room. "Miss Lane, you're finally awake," the doctor said, a warm smile on his lips. He was old, short, had blue eyes and white hair and a beard. He then looked at the nurse. "Tell her family she's awake."

The nurse nodded and left the room.

Lois looked at him confused and a little frightened. "Who are you? What I'm doing here?"

"I'm Dr. Hudson. You had a car accident two years ago, being in a coma ever since. I've been watching you since you got here."

Lois frowned. "I think you're mistaking me with someone else. I was at the barn when something attacked me."

"I'm afraid your mind is tricking you, Ms. Lane. You arrived at this hospital after your car overturn while you were driving in a road in September 2004. According to reports, a strong lightning struck on the road and when you tried to divert from it, the accident happened."

"What?" Lois eyes opened widely. "That's impossible." Lois put her hands on her head, trying to process what the doctor said. She then realized something. "Clark, my… My boyfriend Clark. Where is he?"

The older man looked at her confused. "I think we should wait until your family gets here."

Lois shook her head. "No. Something is very wrong here." She pulled the sheet out of her and got off the bed, still feeling a little disoriented.

"Ms. Lane, please..."

She tried to shove Dr. Hudson out of her way, but she was too weak to manage to do that. Two nurses entered the room and helped him to put her back on the bed.

"Get off me! Get off me!" Lois kept screaming as the nurses held her arms and legs. One of the nurses then gave Lois a sedative injection, making her fall asleep.

-º-

Lois opened her eyes slowly. In front of her, his father and sister, both teary-eyed. "Lo," her father spoke.

With her eyes fully opened, Lois saw tears falling down both their cheeks and a smile on their lips. She knew why they were crying, she just couldn't understand it. Their reaction, so real, was confusing her even more. "Can someone please explain to me what's happening?"

"You've been in a coma –" Lucy said.

"No, this part I get just fine. What I need to know is what's really happening here. One instant I'm about to have dinner with my boyfriend and the other I'm awake from a supposed coma I've been in for the past two years."

Sam and Lucy exchanged looks, confused at Lois's question. "Lo, you've probably been dreaming," Sam tried to argue.

Lois glared at him. "Don't. The only dream situation is this one."

Sam looked defeated. "I think we should wait your mother. She's always been better to handle you than me."

Shock took over Lois's face. "What? What do you mean by that?"

The door of the room opened, a brunette woman in her forties came in. Lois froze as she watched the woman crying and running to hug her. "My little girl, you're awake," the woman said.

Tears fell from Lois's eyes nonstop. "Mom…"

"I'm here, honey."

Lois was smiling, happy to see her mother again. She suddenly pulled away, wiping the tears with her hands. "You're not real. You can't be."

Ella frowned. "What are you talking about, Lois?"

Lois avoided looking at her mother. "You died when I was six."

The older woman cupped her daughter's face and made her look at her. "It was just a nightmare, honey."

"Yeah, Lo. Mom is here with us," Lucy added.

"I'd never leave you, Lois. For those past two years, every day I was here by your side, waiting for my little girl to wake up." Ella hugged Lois again.

Lois knew she should fight this, but she couldn't. She felt safe in her mother's arms again. Sam and Lucy joined the warm embrace. She had her family back, how was she supposed to fight this?

-º-

"Make sure she takes those medications," Dr. Hudson gave Lois's family instructions to take care of her. They all were at the reception of the hospital getting ready to leave.

Lois was leaning against a wall, away from the conversation, trying to regain focus after the overwhelming feeling of seeing her mother again. Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard a high-pitched sound. She followed it, which led her to a closed door. Lois then opened it, surprised to find a black man in his forties in a straitjacket standing in the middle of room.

"Sorry," Lois apologized and turned to leave.

"Lois Lane," the man said.

Lois turned around to look at him again, her eyes wide-open. "How do you know my name?"

"I need you to listen to me. You can't –"

"Lo. There you are," Sam said, putting his arm around her. "Let's go home."

The man stepped closer to her. "You can't trust anyone."

Sam appeared between them and glared at the man. "Stand back, sir."

Two nurses came running to the room. One of them gave the man a sedative injection. "No! No!" The man tried to fight it, but fell unconscious.

"I'm sorry this man was bothering you, Mr. Lane," the other nurse said.

Sam nodded at her. "It's okay." He then look at Lois and grabbed her hand. "Come, Lois. Your mother and sister are waiting us."

As Sam dragged Lois away, she kept staring at the man, a puzzled look on her face.

-º-

The Lane family was in the car on their way home. Sam was driving and Ella was sitting on the passenger seat and the sisters on the back ones. Lois thought about that man's words. He may have been in a straitjacket, but somehow he seemed the only who knew what was going on here. She needed to find Clark and figure out what was happening to her.

"Will you go back to work after you take us home, honey?" Ella asked Sam.

"No," Sam smiled at her. "My little Lo is back. All I want is to spend time with the most important thing of my life, my family."

Lois smiled slightly at his commentary. She craved to hear that her entire life. The sad part was that it only convinced her more this wasn't real. And it hurt.

"Looking forward to catch up with you, sis," Lucy told her.

Lois nodded, uncertain. "Me too." She released a breath she was holding. Whatever, whoever, was causing this knew exactly how to hit her.

They soon arrived home. Lois looked surprised as she realized it was the same house she lived as a child. Left alone in her room, she picked up her cell phone and started to call Clark. She waited and nothing, the number didn't exist.

Her powers were gone, too. She'd need a car to go to Smallville.

Ella knocked on the door and opened it next. "Dinner is ready, sweetie."

The family sat at the table for dinner, smiling after cheering Lois's return. She smiled seeing this. Her expression then turned serious, she had to remind herself not to get attached to this.

The doorbell rang. "You should answer it, Lo," Sam said, a suspicious smile on his lips.

Lois frowned, but she went to answer it. She was surprised to find a tall and dark man with a bouquet of roses. She knew him from the time in the base. "Wes?"

"Lois," the man smiled in relief and hugged her. "It's really you. You're back for real."

Lois pulled away. "Wes, what are you doing here?"

"Your father told me you woke up and I took the first flight to come here and see you. Those past two year… It was a nightmare. See my girlfriend like that –"

"Your girlfriend?" Lois looked shocked.

Wes knitted his eyebrows. "Yeah. Lois, is that anything wrong?"

"I'm not your girlfriend."

The smile left his face completely. "Lois, why do you say that?"

Lois raised her voice. "Because I'm not. You're not real, none of this is real."

The family heard Lois's yelling and approached them. "What's happening here?" Sam asked.

"Lois is rejecting me, general," Wes said, hurt. "Apparently, knowing each other since we were nine, dating since we were fifteen, planning to get marry since we were sixteen, means nothing to your daughter."

"Planning to get marry?" Lois asked.

"Before your accident we were supposed to get married."

"Wes, go easy on her. She's been having a difficult time with her memory," Lucy told him.

Lois angered. "Stop, I'm not! My boyfriend is Clark. Both of you know him," she pointed to Sam and Lucy.

"Who's Clark, Lois?" Ella asked.

"He… He lives in Smallville. He's Chloe's best friend."

Silence took over the place. "What?" Lois asked, puzzled by the sudden quietness.

"Lois, honey, do you remember what happened to Chloe?" Ella asked, worried.

"What? What happened to her?"

"She… She died a few months before your car accident. You were actually on the way to visit her grave."

"No… No. She's alive, it was just a plan to fool Lionel Luthor. Daddy helped her, actually."

Sam shook his head, his eyes full of concern for his daughter.

Lois took a deep breath. "Doesn't matter. I'm going to Smallville."

"Lois, there's no Smallville, there's no Clark. Chloe is dead. You have to understand that, honey," Ella said.

Lois glared at her. "You're not real. None of you are."

Sam grabbed her arm. "That's enough, young lady. Go to your room and rest."

"No," Lois freed her arm forcefully. "And since you're not really my dad…" She then punched him in the face.

Everyone looked at her shocked, including Sam. There were also anger and hurt on her father's eyes. It made her feel guilty, even if she still thought it wasn't real.

"I'm sorry," she gave him an apologetic look. She then grabbed the car's key and run to it.

"Lois!" Wes called, in vain. She got in the car and drove away.

-º-

Lois kept breathing hard as she got closer to her destination. This whole situation has been too much, she was fighting to not have a breakdown.

As she reached the city limits of Metropolis, she stopped the car, puzzled by something she saw. Instead of the Smallville's sign there was Granville's. How could a town disappear like that?

Getting out of the car, Lois then dialed Chloe's number. "C'mon, Chlo, pick up. C'mon." Invalid phone number. "Damn it." She then tried to call Oliver, also in vain.

Out of desperation, she then started to slap herself consecutively, each time harder. "Wake up, Lois. Wake up."

Lois sighed when all it gave her was a headache. She leaned against the car and put her hands on her head, fighting the tears that were threatening to fall.

-º-

Lois returned home a couple of hours later, sad and exhausted. Ella was waiting for her in the living room. "How's daddy?" Lois asked, still feeling guilty.

"Disappointed. How could you do that, Lois?"

Lois avoided her question and turned to leave to her room.

"I know what is happening," Ella said.

Lois looked at her mother again, a hint of hope in her eyes. "You do?"

"After you left, I kept thinking about the things you said. Then, I went to your room and started looking through your things and I found this." Ella grabbed several papers and offered it to her daughter.

Lois approached her slowly and grabbed it. "What is it?"

"It's a story you've been writing since your cousin's death." Lois looked at her confused. "It's about you. How you and Chloe's best friend, Clark, found together that your cousin was alive. He is a super powered alien and you got super powers because of him. You two eventually fell in love."

Lois gulped. "Mom, you have to believe me. This really happened to me."

"This isn't real, Lois. I'm not dead, you and your father and sister aren't distant." Ella cupped Lois's face and made her look at her. "Chloe's death hurt you badly. You decided to honor her obsession with aliens writing this. But this isn't real, Lo. Your cousin had mental illness just like my sister. I know you must have felt you could have saved her from committing suicide, but you couldn't, honey, none of us could."

Lois was reading the papers, shocked by the accuracy of her adventures in it. "Mom, I –"

"Look, Lois, I understand how attractive this parallel world you created is. I mean, who wouldn't want a tall, dark, and handsome blue-eyed and super powered guy to fall in love with you? Or to have super powers of your own? But you have a guy here who loves you even before he knew what this word really meant, you have a family who never left your side when you needed the most. You can't live in this illusion you created forever. This is your life, embrace it."

"I just… I just can't believe everything I've been through is a lie."

Ella put both her hands on Lois's arms and looked into her eyes. "We'll work this out. I promise you, okay? We'll go to the hospital tomorrow and you'll get your memories back."

Lois nodded, uncertain.

Ella kissed her forehead. "Now it's time to go to bed. Maybe sleeping in your own bed instead of the hospital's one will help to clear your head."

-º-

Lois and her family were waiting for the doctor to see her. She still wasn't sure what to believe in. The memories of Clark, Chloe, and even Martha were very alive inside her head.

Suddenly, Lois started to hear the high-pitched sound from yesterday again. Was it that man? She needed to know. "Excuse me, I'm going to the restroom," she told her mother.

Ella nodded.

Lois followed the sound, which led her to closed door. She sighed and then dismissed it as a trick of her mind, starting to leave. She stopped after hearing a voice.

"You can't give in, Lois Lane. You must resist. None of this is real," a voice said. It was from the same man from yesterday.

Lois stepped closer to the door. "Who are you?"

"Like Kal-El, I'm not from here."

"You know Clark? But he… Do you have any idea of what's going on here?"

"When you were attacked in the barn, you were infected by a being that Kal-El released from the Phantom Zone. This spirit is trying to take over your body. The only reason it hasn't taken you over with ease, like Zod did with Lex Luthor, is because you're a lot stronger than that. You're kryptonian now. If you give in to Hudson and undergo this treatment, the entity will gain control of your body with all its powers and unite the other fugitives from the Phantom Zone. Together, they'll enslave all of mankind."

"How can I regain my consciousness?"

"You have to kill Hudson."

"Kill? I can't…"

"He's not a man. Hudson's a Phantom."

"Lois, what are you doing here?" Lucy spoke. "The doctor is ready to see you."

Lois looked at her sister with uncertainty. Lucy then grabbed her arm started to drag her away.

"You know who you are, Lois. Trust yourself. Look within. Believe in yourself," the man yelled as Lois and Lucy walked away.

"You shouldn't talk with those crazy people," Lucy said.

Inside the room, Dr. Hudson started to explain to Lois the treatment. As he was distracted talking to her family, she grabbed a scissor placed on the table and hid it with her hand behind her back.

"Now that everything's set, are you ready to go, Ms. Lane?" Dr. Hudson asked.

Lois nodded. As the doctor passed her way, she took a deep breath. Her hand was trembling. Once the doctor had his back turned to her, Lois took the opportunity to stab the side of his neck with the scissor.

Dr. Hudson fell on the floor bleeding nonstop and with difficult to breath.

"Oh, my god! What have you done, Lois?" Ella said, completely in shock.

Lois gasped, waiting for this nightmare to end.

Sam went to the doctor's side to check on his vital signs. Both he and Lucy kept glancing at Lois terrified by what she had done. "Lucy, call the nurses. Hurry, he's dying," Sam said.

Lucy nodded and went outside to call the closest nurses she could find.

Ella grabbed her daughter's face with both her hands. "Lois, look at me. Why did you do that?"

"I… I…"

Did she make a mistake? Was this real after all? Was she crazy? She looked at the doctor almost stopping breathing and so far the reality she wanted to go back to hasn't show up. Her legs gave out and she felt on her knees. And then she cried, releasing every little tear she had been holding this entire time. At least she was where she felt safe, in her mother's arms.

"You shouldn't have done that, my sweet child. But we'll get through this. Once you get treatment, you'll put this pain behind you and we'll live happily and together."

Lois frowned at her mother's words. She just killed a man, how could she say that?

" _Look within. Believe in yourself."_

Lois opened her eyes wilder as realization started to dawn on her. She pulled away from her mother's embrace. "You're the phantom."

Ella looked confused. "Lois, what are you talking about?"

Lois grabbed the scissor again. "You're the one messing with my head. The loving mother I've been missing. The paper with the fictional story. Convincing me to do the treatment. It was you all along who's pulling the strings."

"Lois, put this scissor down."

Two guards entered the room and held Lois, making her drop the scissor. She struggled to free herself.

" _Believe in yourself."_

Lois freed herself from the men's grip and threw one of them against the wall and punched the other.

"Lois, stop. Please," Ella looked afraid.

Lois gulped. The possibility of hurting her own mother, even a fake one, was hard to deal with. But she had to do it if she wanted to get back to her life. She put both her hand around Ella's neck and started to strangle her.

"Lois, stop," Sam begged, in vain.

"L-Lois…" Ella tried to speak, but Lois tightened her grip. Tears started to fall down Ella's cheeks.

Lois closed her eyes, the image of her mother's suffering was too painful. "Get out of my mind!"

She opened her eyes when she heard a loud yell, her mother's eyes turned black and a redness formed around it. As the phantom left Ella's body, it also started to leave Lois's body. Lois screamed in pain as a red light captured the phantom. Shelby, who was yelping the whole time, stopped.

Lois, who was laid down on the floor, looked up to see Clark and the man who helped her. "Lois," Clark got down on his feet to help her to stand up and then hugged her, breathing a sigh of relief. "I was so worried."

"Welcome home, Lois Lane," the black man said.

Lois pulled away from Clark's embrace and focused on the other man. "Thanks for saving me. What's your name?"

The man just smiled at her. He then flew out of the barn in a streak of red.

"Wait!" Lois shouted, in vain.

"His name is John Jones. He's from Mars. He was the man who saved me in Seattle," Clark told her.

"Why didn't he stick around?"

"I don't know. I'm just glad he was here to help you."

-º-

"Did I really stay out for just a few seconds?"

"Yeah." Clark was at the kitchen preparing a cup of coffee for Lois. "When I reach there, John was already helping you."

"It felt like a lifetime."

"How are you feeling after all of this?" Clark asked as he handed Lois a cup of coffee. He sat next to her on the couch inside the house.

"I don't know," Lois said, still thinking about the events.

"Well, if you want the opinion from someone who've been through this before, I'd bet you feel a certain emptiness."

Lois nodded shyly. "I do. It's weird, you know, I've come to accept my mother's death since I was little. I impose myself not to think or miss her that much. But after today I realized I do miss her, a lot. I miss what my family used to be with her around."

Clark raised his hand to her cheek, stroking it his thumb. "It's okay to miss your mother, Lois. It's okay to mourn as long as it doesn't stop you from living forward."

"You're telling this to me or to you."

"We both, I guess."

Lois nodded and smiled. "I think I'm going to visit her grave tomorrow. It's been so long since I last did that."

Clark smiled back. "Do you mind if I tag along?"

"That'd be nice. It's about time I introduce my boyfriend to my mother."

He chuckled.

Suddenly, Lois sighed. "That phantom totally killed the mood for our romantic dinner."

Clark pondered it. "We still can have it. We still have the food and, let's be honest, who cares about the candles or a formal dinner table? We and food is good enough for me. What do you say?"

"You're speaking my language," she grinned at him.

"I'm gonna warm up the food."

As Lois watched Clark heading to the kitchen, all she could think was how glad she was this man was real. No matter how badly she missed her mother, she wouldn't trade her current life for anything.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Clark knocked on the door of Lois's apartment. She quickly opened it, a bright smile on her face seeing him. "Hey," she greeted him.

"Is there anyone here?"

"No, just me. Chloe and Jimmy went on a date."

Clark smiled and leaned in, giving Lois a quick kiss. "I brought popcorn, beer, soda, and chocolate," he showed her it as he entered the apartment and put them on the countertop. "You got the movie?"

"Yeah."

Clark sat on the couch with the popcorn bowl in his hands, while Lois put the disc on the DVD player. As she finished putting the movie on, Clark signaled for her to sit next to him, placing the bowl on his lap. As she sat next to him, he put his arm around her shoulder. They smiled at each other one last time before starting the movie.

Almost an entire hour had passed and popcorn was gone, mostly eaten by Lois. Clark kept ran his finger softly up and down on her arm. Her head was on his chest as was one of her hands. Their eyes were focused on the screen.

Lois's hand then slowly went down and found the end of his shirt. She slipped her hand under his shirt and touched his chest and caressing it. Clark's hands also went down, touching the skin underneath her shirt. Their eyes were still on the screen.

Her fingers started to trace the lines of his toned abs, feeling it with the palm and fingers of her hand. Clark placed his free hand on her busy arm and worked its way up as his other hand stroked her back. He cupped her face, making her look at him. Without wasting any more time, he kissed her.

Lois's hand left Clark's abs and went to his neck, joining her other one. She then sat on his lap. His lips kept brushing and sucking hers. Their tongues wrestled for dominance and pleasure. The heat from their passionate kiss would be capable enough of activating their heat vision if they didn't have total control of it.

Clark then grabbed Lois by the waist and gently laid her down on the couch. He kissed her lips one last time before descending his lips to her neck. Lois caressed his back underneath his shirt, moaning as Clark sucked and licked her neck.

Lois suddenly opened her eyes, her super hearing picked up voices coming in their way. "Smallville, Chloe and Jimmy are coming up here."

Clark didn't seem to mind. "We have superspeed. We can keep this till the last second." His lips then reached hers again.

Lois almost protested, but the feel of his lips was too good to be interrupted. She decided to take charge of the lip-locked and kissed him harder, biting his lower lip, causing Clark to moan. She giggled as she heard it.

The door of the apartment opened. "Jimmy, it's okay. It wasn't your fault," Chloe said. She then saw Clark and Lois in the living room. "Hey, guys."

"Hey," Clark and Lois said in union. They were sitting on opposite ends of the couch, pretending to be focused on the movie. Clark had his hands between his legs, trying to cover his evident erection.

"Hey, are you watching a movie?" Jimmy asked.

"It's in the final part," Lois replied. She then looked at them and cleared her throat. "I thought you guys would be out all night. For your date, I mean."

"We were supposed to, but the restaurant Jimmy picked got closed by the health department," Chloe told her in a disappointed tone. Jimmy gave his girlfriend an apologetic look.

Clark and Lois breathed hard as the couple sat on the middle spots of the couch. They looked at each other sadly, longing to have their lips locked in those breathtaking kisses again.

The four of them watched the rest of the movie. During it, Jimmy saw something that made him frown. A long strand of hair on Clark's shoulder. He then looked at Lois and saw her hair a little disheveled.

He wondered about it. Had something happened between them? Were they together? Was it just a coincidence? Jimmy decided to watch them closely.

Once in a while, Clark and Lois glanced at each other. In some of those times, Jimmy caught them on it, making them turn their attention back to the screen.

After the movie ended, the four of them watched TV and talked about their days.

Clark got up. "Well, I should get going."

Lois stood up, too. "I'll walk you out."

"Thanks."

"Uh, okay. I'll see you tomorrow," Chloe said.

Jimmy just kept looking between Lois and Clark, suspiciously. Once the two of them left the apartment, he turned to Chloe. "What do you think of Clark and Lois?"

Chloe raised an eyebrow at him. "What do you mean by that?"

Jimmy raised both his eyebrows at her.

She studied him and then chuckled. "Jimmy…"

"C'mon, you gotta admit, they got chemistry. Plus, they were here, just the two of them, watching a movie…"

"Yeah, so do nitroglycerin and peroxide, and I don't suggest putting them together. They're just friends, more now than ever. Besides, I think Lois is already seeing someone."

"What if this someone is Clark?"

Chloe blinked, pondering about it for a minute. She then shook her head. "No, I don't think Clark is thinking about romance right now."

Jimmy sighed. He'd prove he was right.

Outside the Talon, Clark and Lois were kissing passionately. "We should just tell them about us. I'm getting tired of kissing and touching you only when we're alone."

Lois sighed. "Clark, please, just hold it a little longer, okay? It's all I'm asking you."

He nodded his head, reluctantly. He leaned in and touched her lips with his, gently.

"I have to go back or they'll start to get suspicious," she said, not breaking the kiss.

"Uh-huh." He kept kissing her, each time with more intensity. They kept smooching for some more minutes before they broke it and Clark left.

-º-

"Are you sure this trail in Amazon was nothing?" Lois asked. She and Clark were having a coffee at the Talon while they looked for whereabouts of the Zoners left.

"Yeah. I checked it twice. How were your leads in Guatemala?"

"Only jaguar attacks, according to the locals."

From a corner in the coffeehouse, Jimmy was watching their movements, waiting for them to reveal their relationship. The more he thought about it, the more it made sense.

"You know," Clark spoke, a little hesitant. "I was thinking. Uh… I think we should go to a vacation someday. An inn, maybe."

"You mean…" Lois gulped. "You mean our first time… Slee… Sleeping in the same bed… Together?"

"I… Uh… I mean if you're okay with it."

"I… I'm okay with it. Yeah, I think that'd be great," she smiled at him.

He smiled back. "Great."

The two of them kept talking and laughing. Their lack of touching was frustrating Jimmy, though. After finishing their coffee, Clark and Lois walked out of the place, being followed by Jimmy.

The pair entered an alley near the Talon. He was shocked when he looked at the alley and didn't find them there. He started to look around the stores but quickly gave up, disappointed. They were gone.

-º-

Lois arrived at a diner in Metropolis. She then spotted someone she was not expecting. "Clark?"

Her boyfriend frowned. "Lois, what are you doing here?

"Jimmy asked me to meet him here. What are you doing here?"

"He asked me the same thing."

"Where is he, by the way?" Lois asked, puzzled.

"I don't know."

Both of their cell phones beeped. Jimmy had sent them a text.

" _Sorry, stuck at work. Can't make it."_

"Well, that is a waste of time," Lois said, annoyed. "We should go."

Clark grabbed her hand, smiling at her. "Have you eaten yet?"

Lois shook her head and gave him a tight-lipped smile. Clark led her to one of diner booths where they sat next to each other, his arm around her shoulder.

In one of the booths in the back of the diner, wearing a hat and using the menu to cover his face, Jimmy smiled triumphantly as he watched the PDAs between his targets.

"So, I was looking into some ads and I found this cute little inn outside of Metropolis. What do you think if we book a room for next week?" Clark asked as he ate some French fries.

"Sounds good to me."

"I was expecting to show it to you later, but since we're here…" Clark took a paper out of the pocket of his jacket. "This is the inn. The rooms are spacious, the view is beautiful, they have a pool…"

Lois looked at him charmed, not really paying attention to what he was saying. "You've been thinking about this vacation longer than yesterday, haven't you?"

Clark was taken by surprise by her remark. "I… Err…"

She chuckled, showing him she wasn't mad. "You like me, don't you?"

His lips curled into a grin and his head moved forward. "When did I give you the impression I don't?"

"I'm sure there are some quotes from those two years we know each other."

"And I can show you how much I like you."

Lois bit her lower lip. "Can you?"

Clark nodded and then his lips landed on hers. It was a more soft kiss since they were in a public place, but still sensual.

Jimmy smiled from ear to ear. "Gotcha." He grabbed his camera and started to take photos of them kissing.

Clark suddenly pulled away and looked at the source of the click sound of a camera. He looked shocked as he saw Jimmy at the end of diner taking pictures of them. Lois, frowning at Clark's sudden interruption, followed his stare and wore the same shocked expression he had when she saw Jimmy.

Jimmy gulped when both of them started to come his way. They didn't look happy at all, which made Jimmy a little terrified.

"May I have this?" Lois took the camera out of his hand.

"Hey!" Jimmy protested, in vain. Lois started to delete their pictures.

"What are you doing?" Clark asked, anger in his voice.

"I knew you two were together, but Chloe didn't believe me."

"Couldn't you just ask us?"

"Right, because the fact you haven't told anyone means you'd told me. I'm telling Chloe, by the way."

Lois glared at him. "No, you won't."

Jimmy shivered.

"Look, Jimmy, we'll tell her by ourselves, okay?" Clark told him.

"I don't get it. You're both single, adults, why are you hiding this?"

Clark hadn't an answer for that, but Lois was having none of this. "We like to have privacy, which apparently is something you and your damn little camera do not respect."

"Lois…" Clark tried to calm her down.

"I'm calm. I'm perfectly calm."

Jimmy looked ashamed. "Sorry I crossed the line, guys. It wasn't my intention to embarrass you. I, uh, I just wanted, hoping, to see you two together. You two just feel right to me."

His commentary took both of them by surprise. "Oh. Thanks, Jimmy. I… I appreciate it," Clark told him.

Lois sighed. "Just don't do that anymore." She then gave his camera back to him. "And, please, don't tell Chloe."

Jimmy nodded. "I promise."

Silence raised between the three of them.

Jimmy cleared his throat. "Do you mind to tell me how you two got together?"

"I don't know…"

"I don't think so."

"C'mon."

Clark and Lois exchanged looks and nodded their heads. They invited Jimmy to their booth and started telling him how they got together, leaving the secret parts out. Jimmy then told them how he tried to follow the couple yesterday, surprising the pair with the revelation that they were almost caught by accident using their superspeed.

-º-

The trio walked out of the diner a couple of hours later. Talking and laughing.

"Alright, guys, I gotta go. I have a pretty lady waiting for me at her desk," Jimmy told them.

"Uh, Jimmy, speaking of desk…" Lois started. "Is that Daily Planet internship offer still available?"

Jimmy looked surprised at first, but quickly smiled. "You want it?"

"It's time I find my calling. I think journalism might be it."

"I'll see what I can do."

"Just… Give me some time first. I'll need to find a new Chief of Staff for Mrs. K."

Jimmy nodded. "You got it." He then cleared his throat. "Uh, bye, guys."

"Bye," Clark and Lois said in union. They started to walk in the opposite direction of Jimmy.

"Are you sure about the journalism career?"

"I don't know. Looking forward to find out, though."

"You'll do great, I know it," he smiled at her.

She smiled back.

Clark cleared his throat, his expression turned serious. "We can't keep lying about us to our family and friends, you know. I support your decision, despite my own opinion about it."

Lois breathed hard. "But?"

"I want to be able to spend time with you and our friends without having to hide that we're in a relationship. I'll give you the time you asked, whatever is the reason, but I don't know how much longer I can take it."

Lois nodded shyly, not meeting his eyes. "Thank you."

Clark took a deep breath and then reached her hand. "Sorry for ruining the mood. Uh, how about we head back to your apartment and play some Guitar Hero? You won't beat me this time." His grin reached her, easing the tension between them.

Lois raised an eyebrow at him. "You wish."

Clark took a look around and winked at her. "See you there." He then whooshed out.

The smile returned to Lois's face as she ran after him.


	15. Chapter 15

**WARNING: This chapter contains mature content.**

 **Chapter 15**

Clark watched as Lois climbed down the stairs of the talon. She was wearing a belted jacket and jeans, while her hair was pulled into a ponytail. It wasn't any different from her everyday outfit, but his eyes still sparkled, drown in her beauty.

Lois approached him. "What are we doing here on the chubby cherubs land?"

He smiled slightly. "Isn't it obvious?"

The Talon was having a Valentine's Day party. The place was covered with regular balloons and heart ballons, cupid statues, V-day related booths and decorations. A slow dance song was playing in the background.

Lois looked around nervous. "I'm not sure…"

"C'mon, it's our first Valentine's Day. We should be celebrating."

"Chloe can come in anytime and see us."

Clark was growing irritated. "So what? Why are you so adamant in keeping this from her?"

She took a deep breath. "We can do something upstairs."

"No, I want to do celebrate here."

Silence arose between them. Clark then shook his head and groaned. "Forget it. Call me when you start to take this relationship seriously." He then started to leave.

"Clark…" She called, in vain. She then sighed.

"Little down on love?" A woman in an aphrodisiacs booth behind Lois spoke.

Lois turned around, looking at her. "More like the other way around."

"Then maybe you need a little euphoria elixir. Just a nudge in order to tell him how you feel."

Lois shook her head. "He already knows. Kind of. It's complicated."

The woman smiled and reached a box inside a small trunk and offered it to Lois. "Try this."

Lois approached the woman and grabbed the box, opening it. "A lipstick?" She asked, puzzled.

"It's made with jasmine and a mixture of aphrodisiac oils. It works mostly as a love potion, but since you already have your eyes set on one man, it'll help you to express yourself to him."

Lois looked skeptical, but decided to give it a shoot. "Maybe this color will look good on me, huh?" She then started to apply the lipstick on her lips.

"The brilliant hue you can see is from red meteor rocks."

Before Lois could register the woman's words, her eyes glowed red. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply. She smiled, feeling so free, all her worries and doubts out of her mind suddenly. "I'll keep this lipstick."

After paying for it, Lois headed to her apartment. She thought about going after Clark, but decided to wait until the next day. She'd made the wait worth it.

-º-

Clark climbed down the stairs to the kitchen and headed to the fridge.

Martha looked at him, frowning. "Why the sad face, honey?"

He grabbed a cup and started to fill it with water. "I thought my life had gotten better…"

"Rough Valentine's Day, huh? I know it must be hard for you knowing Lana is having an engagement party today…"

Clark shook his head, sighing. "It has nothing to do with Lana."

Martha looked confused. "What is it then?"

He wanted to tell her everything, but right now he didn't even know where he and Lois stood. He had been so angry last night, not only because of the fight, but also because he had planned Valentine's Day so carefully. After the party at the Talon, he'd give her what he called Clark Kent's Tour of Galaxy, which included a walk around the farm, a picnic, and stargazing. Just the two of them spending all night together.

The telephone rang before Clark had to say anything. Martha picked it. "Hello? Hi, Lois. Yeah, he's here. Just a minute." Martha looked at Clark and handed him the telephone. "Lois wants to talk to you."

Clark took it, hesitantly. "Hi…" He greeted in a low voice.

"Clark, can you come here to my apartment?"

"Yeah, we… We have to talk."

"Hurry. I can't wait to see you."

Clark smiled at that. "Me too." He felt relieved that apparently their relationship wasn't strained. He wondered, though, did she change her mind?

Martha watched Clark with a puzzled look on her face. "Clark, that V-day fiasco… Is there something going on between you and Lois?"

Clark stared shocked at his mother and gulped. "Uh… Sorry, mom, I can't talk right now. Talk to you later, okay?"

He started to leave, leaving behind a confused Martha.

-º-

Clark knocked on the door of Lois's apartment and opened it. "Lois?" He then entered the apartment, looking around for his girlfriend.

"I'm here," Lois said from her bedroom.

Clark looked at her, gazing surprised from her head to her toes. She was sitting on the edge of the bed, wearing a blue satin robe. Her blonde hair was hanging loose down her back, while her face was highlighted by bright red lipstick covering her lips. He then cleared his throat and stepped closer to her. "Hey. Look, I'm sorry about last night. I didn't mean to say you –"

Lois got up and put her index finger on his mouth. "Shh. It's okay, you don't have anything to apologize for. In fact, I'm the one who has to apologize for the way I've been behaving."

"Lois, you don't…" Clark stopped as he watched Lois started to untie the robe.

She pulled the robe down her shoulders and off her body, revealing a black corset and black panties. "I'm done holding back."

Clark swallowed hard, not taking his eyes off her. He had seen her naked before, but this time her body was inviting him, and that made it much more sensual.

Lois noted his hesitation and stepped closer to her, her body so close to his that he could feel her breasts touching his chest, which aroused both of them even more. "What's wrong? Don't you want me?" She took one of his and placed it on her waist.

He gulped. "Not that I don't want it, but don't you think it's all a little sudden?"

Lois flashed a smile at him. "Not at all," she told him in a seductive voice. She took his other hand and placed it on the other side of her waist. "Just… Put your big strong arms around me." As she forced both his arms around her, she raised one of her hands to his chest and the other one around his neck, stroking the end of his hair with her thumb.

"Enjoy what you have, Smallville." Lois leaned in slowly and then kissed him. He instantly responded to it.

His eyes burst open glowing red. He then closed his eyes again, taking charge of the kiss as he devoured her lips. His tongue found its way in and danced with hers. After a couple of minutes, he pulled away.

With a confident smile on his face, Clark studied her body for a few seconds. He raised his index finger to the top of her corset and, after pausing for a second, he ripped it in two with the tip of his finger.

Lois gasped.

Clark slowly took the torn corset out of her and admired her large and firm breasts. Clark raised his left hand and placed it on her right breast, caressing it softly. They looked at each other, the closeness allowing them to feel each other's hot breath. "You're beautiful," he said.

His lips reached hers again as his hand started to stroke her nipple. He wrapped his other arm around her and laid her down on the bed, not taking his lips off hers. He then descended his lips to her neck, sucking it as Lois moaned louder and louder.

Clark then focused on her collarbone, tracing it with kisses. Next was her chest, which he kept sucking, leaving hickeys on every part of it. His hands were on her belly and waist, caressing it gently.

He soon reached her left breast, his lips sucking around it, ignoring the nipple on purpose. His left hand stroked her right bosom. Lois shivered when Clark finally took her nipple in his mouth, licking and sucking it. He took as much as he could of her breast in his mouth. Lois tried hard not to scream in pleasure.

Clark shifted to the other breast, taking it the same way he did with the other. He then descended further and gave kisses to her belly. Both his hands reached the thin straps of her panties. When he was about to pull her panties down, he felt a pull on his hair. He looked up.

"You still have your clothes on," she told him.

"Not a problem," Clark winked at her. He got out of the bed, ready to take it off.

"Nah ah. Come here." Clark raised an eyebrow at her, but got onto bed close to her, sitting on his knees. Lois sat up and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, landing a kiss on his lips. She pulled away after a minute, descending her lips to neck, sucking it long enough to leave hickeys.

Lois grabbed the end of his shirt and slowly lifted it over his head. She ran her hands up and down, admiring the way his muscled chest and six pack felt under her hands. She then placed her hands on his belt, unfastening it, while her mouth reached his nipple, biting it. Clark bit back a moan.

After getting rid of the belt, she started to work on the zipper of his pants, quickly dealing with it. Clark got off the bed again and took off his boots and jeans, wearing nothing but his boxers. Lois licked her lips as she could see how hard he was.

Clark returned to bed and grabbed Lois by the waist, putting her on his lap. He grabbed her hair and pulled it slightly, making her throat and jaw stand out. He placed kisses all over it and, biting the side of her neck next. He released Lois's hair, waiting for her to look at him again. Her expression looked like of someone who went to heaven and just came back. He kissed her again, tasting every bit of her soft and warm lips.

Breaking the kiss, Clark grinned cockily one last time at Lois before looking down. He then used both his hands to pull her panties down, exposing her core. He looked fascinated at it. He traced her clit with his index finger up and down consecutively, teasing her. Lois groaned impatiently.

He finally pushed his finger inside her, getting a low moan from her. Clark took her lips in his again as his finger kept thrusting into her. He added one more finger into her and thrust it faster and faster. Determined to make her reach the orgasm, Clark vibrated his finger at superspeed. Lois closed her eyes and held the bed sheet underneath her tightly, feeling all kinds of pleasure, from his strong finger reaching her G-spot to his soft mouth making sweet love with hers.

Lois used one of her hands to grab his cock beneath his boxers, surprising him. "What are you doing?"

She started to stroke it. "You don't like it?"

Clark closed his eyes and sighed, getting harder. "I was kinda focusing on you."

Lois put her hands around his waist and rolled him onto his back, taking the opportunity to sit on his thighs. "I want to play with the food before getting to the desert." She then pulled his boxers down and threw it on the floor.

She looked impressed at the length of his shaft. She then placed her thumb over the head of his member, pressing it as she kept stroking him, each time faster.

His erection was reaching a point where he had no other option but to come, but he wasn't willing to lose in Lois's game. He rolled her onto her back, lying on top of her. "That makes two of us."

Clark crashed his lips to hers as his hands worked between her breasts and core. Lois left his cock and placed her hands on his butt, feeling its firmness.

He started to tease her core with his shaft. "Clark…" Lois groaned, needing him inside her. He, too, couldn't wait any longer.

Still on top of her, he reached the drawer of the nightstand with his long arm and grabbed a condom. He offered her to open it and was surprised and even more aroused when she ripped it open with her teeth.

After putting the condom on, he teased her entrance with her cock. Before Lois could protest, he entered her, making her moan louder. She placed her legs around his waist and her hands on his back. He thrust into her slowly, giving her time to adjust to him.

Clark kissed her one last time before thrusting harder into her. Lois's fingernails scraped down his back, leaving a redness trail on the way. He filled her with all of him, letting both of them in a state of pure bliss.

He shifted his position, putting one arm behind her back and the other held her leg and placed it over his. He slammed into her side to side. Lois tipped her head back as Clark started to suck her nipples again. Her wetter folds were announcing she was getting closer to the orgasm.

Clark kept thrusting deeper, pushing him closer to the edge. He then rolled onto his back with Lois into his arms so she could ride him. She moved her hips slowly, taking her time to ride him. She dug her fingernails into his chest, making him gasp. She then increased the grind of her hips on his.

Clark rolled Lois onto her back one last time. Both of them were getting closer to reach their orgasm. He thrust deeper and harder, both of them breathing heavily. "Say my name," Clark said.

"You first," Lois said, a completely satisfied grin on her lips.

He sighed, smiling. He didn't have time to play this game any longer. "Lois." He gave her a long and hard thrust. "Lois." Again. "Lois." And again.

"Claaark…"

It was all he need hear as he filled her completely and consecutively. Passionately. Her body couldn't take it anymore and she screamed as she reached the orgasm. Not long after, Clark came, too, unloading every seed he had inside the condom.

They were still breathing hard, but it didn't stop Clark from reaching her lips again and her to respond to it. "That was amazing," he said as he laid his back on the bed.

"That was the kind of thing I was expecting when I started a relationship with you."

"What, sex?" He smirked.

She shot him a look. "Passion. The guy who'd satisfy every need I might have."

"Well, as long as you satisfy me back."

Lois put her hand on chest and leaned her head. "And what is it you need, farm boy?"

"First, stop calling me that." He took the condom off his shaft and headed to bathroom to throw it away. He returned to the bedroom and stood still near the bed. "Second, let me show you." He extended his hand.

Lois frowned but took it. He led her to the bathroom, climbing into the bathtub. Clark grabbed a bodywash and dropped some in his hand. He started spreading it all over his body.

Lois was still looking confused. "What are you doing?"

"Shh. I'm working." After finishing covering his arms and legs with the bodywash, he dropped some more in his hands. Slowly and softly, he started to spread it on her breasts, massaging and caressing it. He then sat on his feet and focused on her feet and legs.

Clark stood up again and worked on her arms. He then put an arm around her and closed the distance between them. Lois gasped. Both of his hands touched her butt cheeks, grabbing and massaging it. His growing cock touched her already wet entrance. His finger got in between her cheeks, teasing her hole, which made her shiver.

Clark smirked at her before his lips locked on hers. His hands kept ran up and down her body, spreading whatever was left of the bodywash. Carefully, he laid her down the bathtub and lay on top of her. He rocked his hips, his cock pressed against her core. His lips sucked hers mercilessly.

He took his shaft in his hand and teased her entrance with the tip of its head. Lois moaned desperate for him to fill her. After tracing the lips of her entrance with his member a couple of time, Clark finally slammed into her. His movements were slow and steady at first.

Clark raised his hand and opened the shower faucet. The hot water took the bodywash of their bodies as Clark increased his thrust. Lois placed her hands around his neck, tightening her grip so she could still feel his warm lips against hers. He kept filling her deeper, rocking his hips back and forth.

Lois rolled her eyes back as the passionate penetration was closer to her G-spot. Her hands travelled to his back and her legs wrapped around his waist, pushing his deeper into her. She wanted every inch he had to offer.

She cried her name, pushing him to edge of madness. He buried himself in her to the hilt and thrust faster. He kept the energetic rhythm even after she screamed her name and her body tightened when orgasm hit. He pounded into her hard until he had no other option but to come, releasing all the seminal fluid deep inside her.

Panting, both of them smiled widely. Clark leaned in and kissed her again, this time in a more sweet lip-lock. He was still buried inside of her, rocking his hips back and forth in a slow pace, not ready to let go of her yet.

-º-

After some more rounds of rough, sexy, and sweet sex, Clark and Lois decided to finally eat something. They were lying naked on the bed while eating some sandwiches Clark prepared for them.

"When I left my house this morning, my mom asked about us."

"Okay, we'll go there and tell her everything."

Clark sighed. "I just want to leave this town and have some. You and me, Vegas, presidential suite."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "I hope you're not implying marriage."

He looked annoyed. "Don't be delusional. A collar around your neck is more than enough for me."

Lois chuckled and then straddled him. "Afraid I'll run to someone else's arms, Smallville?"

He placed both hands on the sides of her waist. "Just protecting what's mine." He held her tightly and sat up, pressing his lips against hers. His tongue parted her lips and found hers. His lips smoothly brushed hers.

Before things could go further, Lois pulled away and got away from his lap. She tapped his chest. "Chop chop. I said I'm not holding back anymore and I meant it. Let's go tell your mother."

Clark sighed, he was really ready for another round.

-º-

Clark and Lois entered the back door of the farmhouse. "Mom?"

"Mrs. K?"

They kept calling and looking for her. "She's not here," Clark said as he climbed down the stairs.

Lois then remembered something. "I think I know where she went. Lana and Lex's engagement party. Chloe told me Lana invited her."

"Is it today? I had forgotten it completely."

"I was invited, you know? Poor girl, she has no idea I'm dating the man who she actually loves."

His lips curled into a smile. "You want to tell everyone about us, right? I just realized we have the perfect place for that."

She raised an eyebrow. "You're actually not planning to –"

He looked at her, determination in his eyes. "It's not a party until someone crashes it."

-º-

Lex and Lana's engagement party was happening at the dinner room. The guests, including Chloe and Martha, gathered around the table, the bride and groom sitting on opposite ends of the table.

Martha looked at Chloe with an uncomfortable look. She had planned to decline the invitation to come to the party, but feel forced to accept it when she saw Lana's sad face for having to celebrate it without her aunt Nell and not really knowing any other guest beside Chloe.

Lex tapped on his glass. "Could I have everyone's attention, please? I just wanted to thank you all for joining us to celebrate. Over the years, I'm sure some of you have placed a few bets on whether I'd settle down. But this couldn't be further from settling. I'd like to toast my beautiful fiancée for making me happier than I thought I could ever be." He raised his glass, followed by the other guests.

Lana also raised hers, although hesitantly.

Suddenly, the door of the living room burst open. Clark entered it with Lois in tow. He was dressed in black leather jacket and a black T-shirt underneath it, coupled with dark jeans. Lois wore a black short dress and black leather coat. She also had a long, skinny black scarf around her neck. "Looks like we missed dinner," he said.

"Clark, what are you doing here?" Lex asked with a surprisingly serenity.

"Come on, Lex. You didn't think I was gonna miss this, did you?"

"He's with me." Lois took her invitation out of her pocket. "It says plus one. Which means my boyfriend. Which means Clark."

Chloe, Lana, Martha looked shocked at the revelation. Lana looked at Chloe, but realized she was as confused as her. Lex only raised an eyebrow. "I'll have to ask you to leave," he demanded.

"I'm proposing peace for old times' sake, my friend. We all moved on. You'll marry her soon," Clark pointed to Lana and then at his girlfriend. "And I'll marry Lois someday. Everybody wins, especially because there's no way you can steal this one from me."

Lois laughed and nodded. "That's true."

Lex looked angrily at him.

Clark then looked at Lana, a certain coldness in his stare. "C'mon, Lana, you're the reasonable one in this relationship. You clearly don't have a problem living in the same circle I do. I mean, you invited my own mother to your engagement party."

"I promise you I'll make him behave," Lois added.

Clark grinned. "She's amazing. She's the only one capable of keeping my feet on the ground."

"I am," she said. Clark gave her a peck on her lips.

Lana felt like a sharp object just hit her heart. She looked around at all the eyes on her, waiting for her action. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "You can stay," she said, going against her own common sense. Lex stared at her shocked. As much as the unusual display of affection hurt her, she was curious about Clark's true intention with this little show.

The waiters added two new chairs besides Martha to the table. Chloe looked at Lois trying to get any explanation from her, but her cousin's eyes gave her nothing. Like she didn't care. "Like she didn't care…" Realization dawning on her.

Martha got her son's attention and talked in a low voice. "Please be honest with me, honey. Are you on red kryptonite?"

Clark glared at her. "Why, because I'm happy?" He shook his head and turned his attention back to Lois. He started to put food inside her mouth, making both of them giggle. He then gave Lois long and passionate kisses.

Lana stared at it fighting back the tears that were threatening to fall. Lex saw the look on her face and got angrier. "Enough! Clark, Lois, this isn't your bedroom. Leave, now."

Clark looked unaffected. "Never saw people in love before, huh, Lex? I mean, it must be tough to be just a rebound guy." Clark stood up and turned around to face Lana. "I got to hand it to you, future Mrs. Luthor. What better way to show me you had moved on than to choose the one person that I hated the most? Too bad your plan backfired."

Lois raised one eyebrow, surprised by his speech.

Clark looked back at Lex. "And you, wanting everything I have. You thought you had won, didn't you? The funny thing is that, if I want to, it'd only take a snap of my fingers and she'd run right back to me."

Lana looked disgusted at him. Martha just closed her eyes, disappointed.

"Clark, I think you've done enough damage. Why don't you leave?" Lex warned him.

"I'm not done yet!" Clark yelled, pointing his finger down. Everyone looked shocked at his shout. "I haven't given you my gift yet," he said in a lower tone as he grabbed a glass of champagne from the table, walking past the bald man. "Congratulations on sealing the deal." Clark smirked and pulled out a baby rattle from his jacket and tossed it to Lex. "To baby Luthor... The real reason that Lana's marrying you," Clark mocked as he raised his glass.

Lana looked furiously at him. Lex then tried to attack Clark, but was easily dodged by him, being thrown into a table holding a display of wine glasses, which shattered to the ground as Lex fell into it. "Lex!" Lana rushed to his side.

Clark approached Lois, holding her hand. "Let's go." When they started to walk away, Clark stopped, raising his glass one more time. "Enjoy the party, everyone," he said, giving a devilish smile. He then drank the rest of the champagne and threw the empty glass to the floor, shattering it. Clark looked at a mad Lana one last time, winking at her, before leaving for good with Lois.

At the corridor of the mansion, Clark stopped again. "Wait. How about we have some fun in the main bedroom of the Luthor mansion?"

Lois had an annoyed expression on her face the entire time. "No, I think we're done here." She then whoosed away from him.

Clark frowned. What the hell just happened? He then superspeeded after her.

Back in the dinner room, Lana made Lex sit on a chair and checked to see if he was hurt, which he was not.

In other corner, Martha and Chloe were talking. "Did you know they were dating?" Chloe asked, still shocked.

Martha looked worried. "No. At least, not officially. They definitely were exposed to red kryptonite. I have to go after them."

"I'm coming with you."

They approached Lex and Lana. "Lex, I'm sorry about Clark. Something is wrong with him, he's not like that. I… I'd appreciate if you don't press charges," Martha pleaded.

"Don't worry, Mrs. Kent. Just make sure he doesn't come near me or Lana ever again."

Martha nodded. "Thank you."

"I'm leaving with her," Chloe told Lana.

"Chloe…" Lana spoke. Even after what happened, she was still curious about Clark and Lois's relationship, about what happened to him tonight.

"We'll talk tomorrow," the blonde told her. Both she and Martha then left.

-º-

Clark reached Lois midway to the farm, where she left her purse. He grabbed her arm, stopping her. "What the hell was that all about?" Clark asked, angry.

Lois glared at him. "Exactly what I said. We're done, I'm tired of you."

She was about to run away again, but Clark held her arm before she could. Lois then took him by surprise and punched him on the gut, sending him to the ground.

Lois superspeed away. Clark got up and ran after her, looking furious. She slammed into him when he showed up in front of her, making her fall on her butt. "What's wrong with you?" Clark asked, his voice loud and demanding.

"What? Can't you accept a rejection." She stood up. "Man, Lana really took a toll on you. Don't worry, soon enough you two will be able to try and fail again."

He had a puzzled expression on his face, but quickly realized the reason of her runaway. "So that's what it's all about? You're jealous." He then laughed. "The independent, self-sufficient city girl is jealous of the farm boy who she mocked for so long." His hand reached behind her head and grabbed her hair with a tight grip. "That's just… Pathetic. I'm disappointed, Lois, I honestly thought you were different from those kind of girls."

She gritted her teeth. Without any hesitation, she then threw a punch at his face, sending him into the woods close to the road they were in. She approached him, still having some words left to say. "The red kryptonite must be affecting you really hard. Remember what I said earlier? I can get any man I want to satisfy me. You mean nothing more than just a penis to me."

Clark gave a mocking laugh and got up, still feeling her punch. "Oh, Lois, your hiding feelings thing fooled me one, not anymore. I'm starting to wonder if you're really worth the effort, though."

"And yet, here you are unable to let go. Must be another Thursday for you."

Clark wooshed to her side and placed his hand around her neck, dropping her on the ground next. "The opportunity to shut you up is too good to pass."

She shot her heat vision at his face, making him take his hand of her neck. She then jumped at him and threw a strong blow at his face.

"Maybe you'll take your cue after this," she said as she walked away.

Clark wiped the blood coming out of his mouth with his hand. "Bitch." He then rushed to her and grabbed her arm, turned her around. Without ceremony, he stole a kiss. She tried to fight it, but his demanding lips kept claiming ownership on hers, their warmness making her lips feel at home.

Her hand touched his stomach though his shirt. It then travelled its way up until it found his neck. Slowly, she covered the front of his neck with her hand and then tightened her grip, enough to make him pull away. He had a frown on his face. Lois then threw Clark on the ground. Her legs parted as she sat on her knees on both spots beside his waist. She avoided contact with any part of his body.

She wouldn't let him claim ownership of her. She wouldn't allow herself to be attached to someone who could leave her someday.

She just didn't count on Clark laughing. Loudly.

"What are you laughing about?" She asked, an annoyed expression on her face.

"This whole thing. It's just insane." Lois raised an eyebrow at him. "I love you, woman. And I know you love me too. That's the thing you're stupidly fighting against with."

Her eyes opened widely, but she refused to release his neck.

Clark's hands touched the sides of her waist, travelling up until them found her breasts and started to caress it. "We're the most powerful beings on this world. Together we can own it. We're perfect together." He tried to sit up to kiss her, but Lois pushed his head back to the ground, tightening the grip around his neck, causing him to gasp. He then forced his way up, his arms wrapped around Lois so she wouldn't fall.

He pressed his lips to her. The brush was slow and soft. His tongue slide into her mouth and tangled with hers. He deepened the kiss as his hand start playing with her hair.

Clark held Lois tightly as he stood up with her in his arms and then pressed her back against a large tree close to them. "Look at me," he demanded. Lois opened her eyes, mimicking his gaze. "Say you're mine. Say there's no one for you but me."

"You won't get it fr… Aaahhh," she moaned as he started to bite her earlobe. His mouth then travelled down to her neck, kissing and sucking it.

Both his hands slipped under her dress and found the straps of her panties and slowly pulled it down. He then unzipped his jeans and pulled his cock out of his underwear. After a few seconds of teasing, he pushed himself into her. Lois closed her eyes and moaned. She had missed the feel of him buried deep inside her.

He started with slow thrusts. "You love me, don't you?" He said.

"You're nothing to me," she denied, mostly because it turned her on.

Clark smiled, increasing his speed a little. He bite her jaw as his cock filled her completely, her scent and soft skin were driving him crazy.

Lois wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pressing her fingernails in his back. She rolled her hips forward, needing more of him inside her.

"Ready to admit it?"

She just shook her head, too drunk on the pleasure he was giving her to form words. He penetrated her deeper and harder. The tree was starting to give way with the pressure of their love making.

Clark put his arm around her waist and thrust faster and mercilessly. "Say it."

She shook her head. When he was about to reach her G-spot, he retreated his shaft off her. Lois opened her eyes, missing his pulsing member filling her. "What are you doing?" She asked, a little angry.

"Making you beg for me to finish." He slammed his cock back into her wet core. His rhythm was slow and steady again.

Lois groaned as she realized he was missing the important spots on purpose. She was on the verge of the orgasm, but she needed him to reach it. She bit her lower lip. "What you want me to do?"

His lips curled into a cocky smile. "Just admit what I already know. You want me deep inside you for the rest of your life."

She laughed. "Do you really believe that?" She looked into his eyes, and although they both weren't themselves today, she saw it, a hint of sincerity, trueness.

He pushed himself into her a little harder. "You have to decide what kind of person you wanna be, Lois. The one who goes after what she wants, what she deserves, or the one who runs away afraid of getting hurt."

Lois breathed hard. She wrapped her arms around his neck and draped one leg around his waist, pulling him closer to her. "Claim me yours, Kal-El."

He grinned and started pounding her deeper. She moaned. He watched his member fully disappearing into her tight body, letting him even harder. He grabbed both cheeks of her butt, squeezing it.

He finally reached her G-spot, making her cry his name. He thrust hard, faster, turned on by the bliss caused by this love making. He then came, shooting his seeds nonstop inside her.

Clark kept moving his cock back and forth in her core as his lips captured hers. He smiled genuinely at her. "We should finish this inside the house."

Lois smiled back and nodded.

-º-

Clark and Lois soon reached the farm between kisses and grabbings, giggling. He pressed her against the outside wall of the farm house, taking her lips in his. He held her hands and placed it over her head, while his mouth found her neck.

Suddenly, a sharp pain started to hit both of them. They both fell on their knees. They looked up and saw Martha, holding a box with kryptonite, and Chloe. The effects of red kryptonite started to disappear.

A few minutes later, the four of them were at the kitchen. Clark and Lois avoided his mother and her cousin's looks as Martha and Chloe waited for an explanation. The couple avoided to look at each other.

"You did quite a bit of a mess tonight, huh? Fortunately Lex won't press charges," Martha said. She was mad at both of them.

"Sorry," it was all what Clark could say.

"You two are really dating or is it just a byproduct of the red kryptonite?" Chloe asked.

"D-dating…" He replied with uncertainty. He looked at Lois for some sort of confirmation, but she was looking downcast.

"How long?"

"Two months."

"Why didn't you tell us, sweetie?" Martha asked, disappointed to be privy of such an important thing.

"It's… It's complicated."

"Did you two…" Martha saw his son breathing hard. "Oh. Please tell me you used protection. Now that you two… Uh… are actually of the same race, it'd be possible to…"

Chloe averted her eyes, uncomfortable. Lois finally looked up and exchanged looks with Clark. "I'm not on my period," she told her, gulping.

Both Clark and Martha breathed a sigh of relief. This could have gone so much more wrong.

"I wish you had told me sooner, but I'm happy you two found each other," Martha smiled at them.

Lois cleared her throat, not meeting her eyes or Clark's. "Mrs. K, I'm sorry, but I have to go. Good night." She then rushed outside.

"Lois!" Clark called, in vain.

Martha put her hand over his. "Give her time."

Clark knitted his eyebrows, but nodded.

"I'll take her home," Chloe spoke. "Talk to you tomorrow," she said, pointing to Clark. "Good night." She then left.

Clark looked worried, which Martha noted. "We'll talk more about what you did at Lex's party tomorrow, all I want to know for now is one thing."

"What?"

"Are you happy with Lois?"

He nodded, shyly.

She smiled again. "Then things will look better tomorrow. You'll see."

-º-

Chloe was driving her car with Lois on the passenger seat. She kept glancing at her quiet cousin now and then. "How are you?"

Lois breathed deeply. "Bad."

"Yeah, red kryptonite kind of does that to you. Any idea on what object caused this to you? I know it wasn't a rock because the effect would be gone the minute you were away from it."

"A lipstick."

"Hmm." Chloe pressed her lips together and then looked at her cousin. "What happened to us, Lois? We used to be the kind of cousins who tell each other everything."

"You didn't tell me about your mother."

Lois nodded, accepting her guilt. "I know. I had my share of faults. What I meant was, I'd like to be first person you tell about your new boyfriend, the one you scream along as you tell the things you like the most about him. The first one to say how happy I'm happy you two are together."

"You are?" Lois looked somewhat surprise.

"Yeah. What's up with the surprise?"

"Probably because I'm dating the man you pined for years. The one I mocked every time you gushed about how great he was."

Chloe chuckled. "It's all in the past, Lois. I'm dating Jimmy now."

Lois didn't look convince. "Sorry to sound skeptical, cuz, but I've seen the way you looked at Clark and the way you look at Jimmy."

Chloe sighed. "Okay, maybe I had loved Clark in a more desperate way, but the fact is that I love Jimmy now. Clark is just my best friend. So are you. If you're worried about hurting my feelings, don't be. I couldn't be happier you two are together."

The cousins exchanged smiles as they continued their drive home.

-º-

The next day, Lois reached the barn, climbing the stairs. She saw Clark sitting on the couch, pensive. "Hey," she greeted.

"Hi. Thanks for coming."

Lois slowly stepped closer to him. Clark took a deep breath as he studied her. He could see in her eyes she was still unsure about looking at him. "Is that always like that?" Lois broke the silence. "This guilt. Having done something you didn't want to, but that there's a tiny part of you that wanted it."

He nodded. "It is. No matter how much you wished you hadn't done or said it, the truth is that you did it, a part of you meant it." He then cleared his throat. "That's why I called you here. There's something I need to explain to you. At Lana and Lex's engagement party, all that anger I showed, it comes from even before we got closer. I'm not trying to justify my behavior, but I know, because Lex told me when he was under Zod's influence, that he wanted everything that I had. My family, my powers, Lana."

"I don't feel that way about Lana anymore, I assure you. But deep down I'm still angry at her, feeling betrayed by her when she chose to start dating the person who I despised the most. It's something I don't let take the best of me, but it's the kind of thing red kryptonite does. It brings out the worst in you. I guess I just wanted to show Lex and her that somehow, in some sort of twisted competition, I overcame what they did to me and won."

Lois looked at him with understanding. "Well, I have some explaining to do, too." She went to sit on the couch next to him. "About hiding our relationship. Here's the thing, Clark, I… Uh… I came later in your life, okay? I watched you love and desire a girl madly, while watching closely a girl loving and pining for you. Then, an unnatural event happened and changed me. It changed who I was and our relationship, it brought us closer."

"Here I was in the center of the story I've been watching for two years. Where do I fit? Will I be the girl who got you in the end or the one who's standing in the way of your old love or a possible new one?"

"Lois…"

She put her finger on his mouth. "Let me finish. I was scared, okay? I've been in some relationships before, but unlike you, this is the first time I've been in love. It's exciting and intimidating. And in a true Lois way, I try to slow things down, trying not to get too invested afraid of getting hurt, even when the possibility is minimal."

Clark had a huge grin on his face.

"What?" Lois asked, puzzled.

"You said you love me."

"I also said a bunch of other stuff."

"Doesn't matter." He raised his hand to her cheek, stroking it with his thumb. "I meant it when I said I love you yesterday." He then leaned in and gave her chaste kiss on the lips.

"Which brings me to our little red K episode…" Lois started. "Not that I didn't enjoy, uh, our time together. I mean, that was just… Wow. But I think…"

"We skip some steps. I know. I actually cancelled our reservation in that inn."

"Oh," Lois looked surprised. "Thanks for understanding."

Clark gave her a warm smile. "I understand you need time to feel comfortable enough to be intimated with me again. I want our real first time, the one where we're in total control of our actions, to be special. To be remembered completely fondly."

She smiled back and nodded. Her hand reached his and interlaced their fingers. Just like his mother had said, things were looking better today.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

"Are you sure about telling your family about what happened to you?" Clark asked to Lois. He was driving his mother and his girlfriend to the airport. They were heading to Washington, D.C., where Martha would present the new project she was working on. Lois decided to take the opportunity to finally talk to her father and sister and tell them the truth. Most of it, anyway.

"It's now or never," she replied, a hint of uncertainty in her voice.

Clark nodded. He kept driving until they finally arrived at the airport. "I'll go make the check in while you two say goodbye to each other," Martha said.

Clark hugged her. "Good luck with your project, mom!"

"Thank you," Martha smiled at him and then started to walk away with hers and Lois's baggage.

Lois looked at him. "It's amazing how accepting of us together she is. Now I feel silly to hide it from her for so long."

"You were."

Lois looked annoyed and then punched him on the shoulder. Unaffected by it, he smiled and wrapped his arms around her waist. "I'm gonna miss you," he told her.

"Please, it's not like you can go visit me in three seconds."

"Two. Not that anyone's counting." He continued. "What I meant is that we're still gonna be in different states for a whole week. I don't know how I can survive with that," he joked.

Lois chuckled. "Aww, poor baby." She then gave him a soft and long kiss.

Clark studied her face and then tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. "If you need to tell your family about me and my heritage, go ahead. You have my support to do that."

Lois smiled slightly. "Thanks, Smallville, but I know my father. If I tell him about you, he'll rather blame you than to face the idea that his daughter has changed."

Clark sensed her tensing and touched her face with his hand. "Hey, you're gonna be fine."

She breathed hard. "God, I hope so."

They kissed again. Lois pulled away suddenly. "I should get going. The security guy is coming ready to boot you out of the parking lot."

He nodded unconcerned and pulled her body closer to his, giving her a long and warm kiss. "Love you," Clark told her.

"Love you, too."

He watched as she walked away, a smile spreading on his face.

-º-

Lois and Martha took their seats on the plane and waited for it to take off. "Our last trip together for work. Sorry again for quitting this job," Lois spoke with an apologetic look.

"Don't worry, sweetie. When I first hired you, it wasn't because I thought you were perfect for this job, I just thought you could do better than working as a waitress. But neither of them are suitable for such an adventurous person like you. I think being a reporter might do it for you."

"Do you think so?"

"I think you know yourself better than I do." Lois nodded and smiled at that. "Are you nervous to meet your family?"

"Terrified," Lois sighed. "It's different from telling Chloe. She already knew about Clark and accepted him. And I live with her. Now my father and sister, we're just so disconnected… I don't know how they'll react. Plus, my father is a military man. You know how someone in his position is paranoiac with forces beyond this world."

"I think you're selling your father short, Lois. In the few times I spoke to him, he always seemed to care about you very much."

"I don't doubt he loves me. I question if he loves his job more than me."

Martha looked concerned at her. "That's something you'll have to confront your father with." She continued. "At least you have Clark to support you now."

Lois smiled again, her eyes sparkling at the mention of him. "Yeah, he's great. He has a certain way to calm me down."

Martha smiled back. "My son and the woman I consider like my daughter. I may be biased to say this, but I think you two are the perfect fit for each other."

Lois blushed.

"You know, I should've picked up on your romance sooner. For those past couple of months, almost every morning I saw him, Clark had looked so happy. And the couple of times I saw him getting home late in the night, he had this huge grin on his face. I also heard him singing in the shower. My son isn't a singing person, which makes me think it was because of you."

Lois looked surprised. "That's new." She then gave a little laugh. "I gotta make Smallville sing for me someday."

Martha chuckled. "Jonathan sang for me a few times. He was way better singer than he gave himself credit for."

"Oh, I bet Mr. Kent was. With all due respect, he was a stud."

"No arguing from me, I hit the jackpot with that one. Not only with him, but with our son, too. I had two brave and extremely handsome men by my side."

"I really look up to you, Mrs. K. I want to be able to say that when I'm older."

Martha looked touched. "Just keep living your life as you live it today, Lois. You're doing fine."

They spent the rest of the trip chatting about moments with their respective partners and work. Their bond, so strong, was clear to anyone who could see them.

-º-

Lois was sitting on the armchair of her father's apartment when the man she was looking for entered the place. She stood up.

"Lois?!" Sam said, completely surprised.

"Hey, daddy."

He wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming?"

"I wanted to make a surprise." Lois cleared her throat. "Uh, where's Lucy? I kinda need to talk to both of you."

"Your sister's travelling through Europe. You'd know that if you called her."

"You know very well why our relationship is strained."

"Lucy made a mistake, Lo. Don't you think it's time you forgive her?"

Lois sighed. "Unbelievable. You spent more time mad at me because I failed the 'family chain of command' than at her."

Sam nodded, his face serene. He went to sit on the couch. "I was harsh on you, I'm sorry. The thing is, after we track your sister, we had a heated discussion. She started accusing me of the same things you did."

Lois crossed her arms. "Not surprising." Sam shot her a look. "Sorry."

"Lucy stayed on her room for weeks, sometimes crying, only leaving it to eat. She barely spoke to me. Then, one day, she finally opened up to me and apologized for what she did, explaining why she did it."

She looked pensive.

"Your sister wanted to talk to you, but she was so ashamed to ever call you."

Lois took a deep breath. "She should be here. That way we lay it all out."

Sam frowned. "What is it you want to tell me, Lois?"

She started pacing nervously, her breathing uneven.

"Lo, what is it?" He asked, worried.

Lois took another deep breath. "Those past few months, they… Uh, they have been difficult for me. I… I've changed." She paused, not finding the right words to say it. "Daddy, I…"

His cell phone rang, and for that Lois was glad. She needed to figure a way to tell him for once and for all.

"Excuse me, Lois." Sam went to the kitchen to answer the call.

She was becoming frustrated as time went on and she hadn't come up with a smooth way to start telling her father the truth.

Sam returned to the living room. "Lois, I'm sorry but I have to go. Can we leave our talk for tomorrow?"

Lois angered. "No, we can't. This is important."

"Lois, whatever it is, it can wait. They need me at the base."

"I need you. For once, just for once, put your own daughter above your job."

He sighed. "I'll try to be back as soon as I can. I promise." He then turned to leave.

Lois shook her head. It's now or never. "I'm not human anymore." Sam turned to face her, a puzzled expression on his face. "Or normal, or whatever word can be applied to my situation."

"What are you talking about?"

She grew confident. "The change I was telling you about, this is it. I have super powers."

Her father looked suspiciously at her. "What kind of joke is this, Lois?"

"I see, you want a proof." Lois approached him. "Is that your phone, right?" She said as she reached his pocket and grabbed it. She held his cell phone with her thumb and index finger on each end of it. "I always wanted to do this." She then pressed her fingers together, destroying it to pieces easily.

Sam opened his eyes widely, shocked. He then looked back at her. Despite the strength display, there was a fragility in her eyes. She was back to feeling nervous. "How?"

"You know Smallville. The place. Those things do tend to happen a lot there."

He studied her body, concerned. "Are you feeling okay? Did you see a doctor?"

She shook her head. "I'm fine. I accepted it a long time ago."

Sam sighed. "Why didn't you tell me it sooner, Lo?"

"I was scared and, fortunately, I could count on other people. No offense, dad, but we're not that close. We've never been."

"You're my daughter, I care about you, about what's happening in your life."

She turned her back to him. "I'm not saying you don't love me. I'm simply stating a fact. We only see each other a few times a year, we talk on the phone once a month. If I didn't come here, you'd never know what's happening to me."

Hesitantly, he placed his hands on her shoulders. "Lois…" He turned her around, making her face him. "Let me help you. We can find a cure for this."

"There's no cure, daddy."

"We'll find one. I had worked on meteor-infected people before, it's dangerous."

A small smile appeared on her face. "This one isn't it, it's a gift."

"That's not you."

"It is me now." Lois took a deep breath. "I didn't come here so you could help me deal with this. I just thought it would be fair to you and Lucy to know the truth about me."

Sam put his hand on his forehead, trying to ratiocinate. "I don't know what to think. I can't let you continue with this without seeing a doctor, Lois."

"It's more complicated than that, I can't go to a regular doctor."

"Why not?"

Lois was breathing heavily. "I'm more than just a meteor-infected. And I prefer to leave at that."

Sam held her arm, an inquisitive look on his face. "Tell me all the truth, Lois."

"Daddy, I-I can't."

"Please, Lois. The truth."

She sighed and then placed her hand over his. "I-I'm an alien."

He gasped and unintentionally gave a step back. Lois was looking downcast. "What is that suppose to mean?" He asked.

"My body has changed. I'm not like you, or Lucy, or Chloe anymore. It functions now the same way a certain alien race."

Sam looked confused. "How? How can something like that happen? How did you find out that?"

"I can't give you all the details, dad. All I can guarantee you is that I'm the same Lois, just, I don't know, an upgraded version of myself."

"You can't just accept it like that, honey. If what you're saying is true, then the world is in danger. There are aliens among us."

Lois's heart started to beat faster. "You can't tell anyone about this, dad. The world isn't in danger, I swear."

"Lo, it's my duty –"

"I'm one of them now. If you reveal it to the world, you're revealing me."

"You're being manipulated."

Lois raised her voice. "And you're back at being the stubborn father who don't listen to your own daughter!"

Sam angered. "Watch your tone, young lady." He took a deep breath. "You come in here after months to tell me you're suddenly something else and expect me to just accept it like it's a normal thing. That's not how those things work, Lois."

"How it's gonna work then? You warn your higher-ups that there are aliens among us, they find me and help me? Because that is how those work, right? It's impossible to imagine they would come after me, try to dissect me and find out about this alien race, or that I try to ran from them and become National Security priority number one, right?"

"That is not what I meant."

"But that's what is gonna happen. I lived long enough in the base to know what happens to people that America considers their 'enemy.'" She looked deep in his eyes. "You'll have to decide what's more important for you, daddy, me or your job."

His other cell phone rang before he could say anything. He went to answer it. Lois was taken by surprised when he took off the battery of his cell phone. "You are," Sam said, firmly.

Lois swallowed hard. Somehow, she wasn't expecting such a quick answer. Every time in the past she had confronted her father with this question, he had refused to answer it, be it because he thought it was foolish of her or because he genuinely didn't know how to answer it.

Sam stepped closer to her. "I'm still not sure if I can accept if it's permanent, but all I need to know now is that you're fine. I need you to look me in the eyes and tell me honestly you're fine."

Lois looked at him, a wide smile spreading on her face, and nodded. "I'm okay, daddy."

Sam then hugged her, tightly. "I love you, Lo."

A lone tear fell down her cheek, letting herself be comforted in his embrace. "I love you, too, daddy."

They pulled away after a couple of minutes. Sam wiped her tear with his thumb. "Anything else you want to tell me?"

Lois looked puzzled. "Hmm?"

"The new man in your life." Her eyes opened widely. "We may not be the closest family, but we at least used to celebrate most of our Christmas together."

"Why… Uh, why do you think there's a boyfriend?"

"When you said you wanted to spend Christmas with your cousin." He chuckled. "I'm not such a bad father, you know. I recognize the hesitation in your voice when you lie to go and see your boyfriend any time. Who's he?"

"Clark…" She told him, shyly.

"The Kents' son?"

Lois nodded.

"He knows about you?"

She nodded again.

He had a serious expression on his face. "Tell him to call me."

"Yes, daddy."

Sam then cleared his throat. "Have you eaten yet?"

"I was too nervous to think in food."

"Alright, I'll make something for us to eat." He headed to the kitchen.

Lois followed him, raising an eyebrow. "You're cooking?"

Sam grabbed three eggs in the fridge. "Yes."

"Since when?"

"I live alone with your sister now. I had to learn something."

Lois laughed. "And I thought there was no future for the Lane family in kitchen after its mother was gone."

"If you're expecting your mother's magic in here, you'll be disappointed." He cracked the eggs in a bowl and started to beat it with a fork.

"You know, mom would be proud of you."

"I don't know…"

"I'm not saying you hadn't made mistakes. But you've come a long way since the way you react after she died, sending Lucy to a boarding school and carrying me around like a bag to the military bases. For the first time in years, it finally feels we're in good terms."

Sam looked regretful. "I'm sorry I couldn't be the father you two deserved."

She gave him a warm smile, telling him everything was fine now.

-º-

Lois finally reached her hotel room in the middle of the night, feeling exhausted. She was surprised to find Clark lying on her bed reading a magazine. "I'm not even gonna ask how you got in."

"Article about how to be a good journalist? You're really taking this job seriously," Clark smirked.

"Give me that," she took the magazine out of his hand.

"How was your day?"

She sat on the side of the bed and took her shoes off. "Tiresome, but everything went well."

"I told it would."

She looked at him with a smile on the corner of her lips. "The general wants to talk to you. Let's see if you can handle him."

"I'm not afraid of him, if that's what you thinking." He sat up on his knees and held her, laying her down next to him. They both giggled. "There's something I want to tell you, though," he said, his expression turning serious.

Lois grew worried. "What is it?"

"Chloe. She might be a meteor-infected."

Lois sat up again. "What?"

Clark sat up, too. "It's a long story, but a former colleague of us from high school, who had this power to identify meteor-infected people, was working for a doctor to find people like that. She was abducted, but had no recollection of it. All we know was that they put a GPS device inside her and then was planning to kill her."

Lois looked angry. "This was one of Lex's doings, wasn't it?"

"Officially, the charge of the crimes was put on the doctor who coordinated the project. And since he's dead and the project closed, the police didn't investigate it further."

"That's it. I'll go comfort my baby cuz and then I'll rearrange that asshole face."

When she was about to get up, Clark grabbed her arm. "Lois. Chloe's sleeping, it's been a long day for her. And as much as I want to see Lex pay for what he's doing, you going to prison won't help our situation."

"You're just gonna let him get away with this?"

"No, I want to go there myself and punch him for what he did to Chloe. But if we really want him to pay, we have to find something to put him where he belongs, behind bars."

Lois calmed down. "Breaking his nose would feel good."

"I know," he said as he caressed her hair. "Someday, maybe." He leaned in, his lips touching hers gently. He laid her down back on the bed as his tongue slide inside her mouth. His hands caressed the skin of her waist and belly as their tongues tangled with each other. His soft and warm lips brushed hers, sending shivers down her spine. Her hands went to his head and her fingers ran through the hair of the back of his head.

Clark's lips descended to her neck and he kissed and sucked it, tasting every little part of it. Lois gave a low moan. He traced the line of her throat and kissed it until he reached her jawline. He sucked it lightly and repeated the motion on her cheeks, ignoring her lips on purpose. He rubbed her nose with his lightly before his lips crushed on hers again. His hands slipped under her shirt and caressed her back.

Someone then knocked on the door of her room, making them broke the kiss. "Lois, are you in there?" Martha called her.

Lois closed her eyes. "Damn." She looked at Clark with an apologetic look. "Sorry, I forgot I promise your mother we'd look into some résumés for the job of Chief of Staff."

Clark got up, a disappointed look on his face. "Well, that killed the mood."

"Are you mad at me?"

He smiled. "Of course not." He leaned in to give a peck on her lips. "See you tomorrow."

"Tell Chloe I'll visit her as soon as I can."

"I will. Bye." He then left through the window, avoiding a possible awkward meeting with his mother.

Lois got up and arranged her hair. She was happy after making amends with her daddy, but the situation with Chloe worried her. She also would keep an eye on Lex, she had a feeling it won't take long until she finally throw a well deserved punch on his face.


	17. Chapter 17

**WARNING: This chapter contains mature content.**

 **Chapter 17**

"Dear friends and family, we are gathered here today to witness and celebrate the union of Alexander Luthor and Lana Lang in marriage. In the time they have been together, their love and understanding of each other has grown and matured, and now they have decided to live their lives together as husband and wife," the priest started. Lex and Lana were standing in front of him. He had a big smile on his face, while her expression showed uncertainty. The guests, many, took their seats in the big, fancy chapel.

"Before we start this ceremony, if anyone can show just cause why this couple cannot lawfully be joined together in matrimony, let them speak now or forever hold their peace."

"I have something to say," a male voice at the entrance of the place spoke.

Everyone at the chapel turned around to look at the newcomer. "Clark!" Lana uttered. Her heart was beating faster. Her face showed surprise, her lips close to curl into a smile.

Clark looked at Lana, his eyes begging for her. "Lana, I've loved since the first moment I saw you. I cannot let you go through with this, I can't lose you. I promise you we can be happy together." He extended his hand. "Just, please, come with me."

Lana smiled widely. Ignoring Lex's hurt look, she ran to Clark. But before she could jump into the arms of the man who owns her thoughts, Lana opened her eyes. She looked at the side of the bed. There was Lex with his back turned to her.

She sighed. Just a dream. Today is her wedding, the most important day of her life. She should feel happy, fulfilled. If only she could take Clark off her mind.

-º-

"I can't believe you're going to that monster's wedding after what he did to you," Lois said to Chloe. The petite blonde was getting ready to leave to the Luthor mansion, where she would get dressed and help with the last details for Lana and Lex's wedding.

"We don't know for sure it was him."

Lois looked incredulous.

Chloe sighed. "I'm doing this for Lana. She's feeling alone lately. As much as I hate to even look at Lex, I want to be there for her."

"Isn't it easier to just tell her about Lex? I would, but I'm not exactly the most trustworthy person in her eyes."

"Lois, there's a baby involved."

"Do you really think this kid or Lana will be happy living with Lex? Because he won't change, it's in his nature."

"I don't know," Chloe said, sighing. "I don't think even Lana's sure. She has been asking me a lot lately about you and Clark, if he talks about her at all."

"What did you say?"

"What she already knows, that you two are happy," Chloe replied, still feeling sad for her friend.

Lois took a deep breath. "Well, independent of this weird place we are right now, I think she deserves better than Dr. Evil," she said, sincerely.

Chloe gave a weak nod. "It's a decision she has to make on her own."

-º-

Martha entered her house carrying the dress and some shopping bags. Clark was at the kitchen eating a cereal. "Hey," Martha greeted.

"Hey," Clark greeted back. He then looked at the bags in her hand. "Going to the wedding after all?"

Martha looked surprised. "Is there any problem if I go?"

He shook his head. "I'm just asking because, you know… Last time I made quite a mess at their party."

"You were not yourself Clark, it's mostly forgotten." Martha took a deep breath. "In fact, I think you should go to the wedding."

Clark frowned. "What?"

"You and Lana never got the chance to end things on good terms. You showing up, even wishing her good luck on this new stage of her life, would give you two a proper closure."

He pondered it. "I don't know. I think it'd just create an awkward situation. I prefer to stay here and spend the day with Lois."

Martha nodded, smiling. "You know what's best for you. Have fun," she said as she started to head to her room.

Clark smiled. "We will."

-º-

"I really thought my father would make your life more difficult," Lois said to Clark. They were at the kitchen of his house, Lois was eating a sandwich and drinking orange juice as Clark kept watching her with loving eyes.

"What did you expect, a list with tasks like scrubbing the bathroom tile with a toothbrush?" Clark chuckled.

"It's definitely something he'd do."

He squinted. "Well, he didn't. Like I said, he told me to take care of you, which I always do, and if I hurt you I'd have to deal with him, which I certainly don't plan to. All in all, I think your dad likes me," he smiled proudly.

"Don't get cocky. I know the general, he will find a way to test you someday. Warning, no one's passed."

He kept smiling. "Whatever it is, I'll be the first."

Finishing her sandwich, Lois cleared her throat. "So, uh, your ex is getting married today. How does it feel?" She asked, trying to sound cool, but not hiding very well her discomfort.

Clark raised an eyebrow at her. "I'm feeling fine. I don't think she can be happy with Lex, but I wish happiness to her and her baby."

Lois nodded, shyly. "I'm glad we're on the same page." She stood up and walked to the living room, lying down on the couch. Clark's eyes followed her, mesmerized by the way her hips moved. Her eyes looked intensely and provocatively at him. They were challenging him.

Clark grinned and then ran to the living room. He lay on top of her, holding himself braced on his elbows, and took her lips in his. One arm went behind her back, pulling her body closer to his. His hot lips sucked hers hungrily. Her tongue tried to found his, but his mouth were everywhere on hers.

Her hands went underneath his shirt, running up and down on his back. His lips finally settled down on hers, brushing it softly. His tongue slid inside her mouth, wrestling with hers. Her fingernails scratched his back as she moaned.

Clark's mouth descended to her neck, sucking and licking the same spot over and over again. He then kissed his way down to the skin exposed by her U neckline. He looked at her waiting for her to come out of her bliss state.

Lois opened her eyes to see Clark looking at her. There was a question in his gaze. Without hesitation, she nodded, understanding where they were about to go.

Clark got up and extended his hand. He tilted his head, a confident and small smile on the corner of his lips. Lois took it and got up, too. She pulled her body closer to his and leaned in to kiss him. He opened his mouth widely, taking as much of her lips as he could. Clark placed one hand on the back of her neck and the other one on her waist. He then placed his hand on her leg, putting it around his waist. She then took the opportunity to wrap both her legs around his waist.

Without breaking the kiss, Clark started to walk upstairs with Lois in his arms.

Lex had just arrived at the chapel. He looked nervous, disconcerted. Minutes before, Dr. Langston, Lana's gynecologist, tried to blackmail him, threatening to reveal the secret that could change everything in their relationship. Her pregnancy wasn't real. Enraged, Lex punched the doctor several times, accidently making him fall back against the edge of a crypt, dying immediately. Lex hid his body inside the crypt. At the chapel, he waited impatiently for his bride.

Lana, meanwhile, was looking through some album with pictures of her and Clark she had hid from Lex. She had fought against it for so long, but couldn't deny anymore, she still loved Clark. What she'd give for him to show up and say they should be together. But now he was happy with another woman and she was about to get married to the man who in a few months she was going to have a child with. Should she marry him even if she loved another man?

Her thoughts were interrupted by the chauffeur who'd take her to the chapel. It was time.

Back at the Kent farm, after slow steps, the lovebirds finally reached the bedroom. Lois unwrapped her legs from around him and her feet back on the floor. They broke the kiss, gazing into each other's eyes. Both of them were breathing heavily, their hot and warm breath could be felt by each other.

Clark slowly raised his hand to her hair, finding the elastic forming the ponytail. He took it off, releasing her long blonde waves. He caressed her hair gently, soaked in her beauty. He leaned in and took her lips in his again in a passionate lip-lock.

Clark lifted up her red shirt and threw it at the floor. Lois was wearing a yellow bra, the border of it in the color red. He laid her down gently on the bed, his lips still locked on hers. Clark took his blue shirt off as Lois watched the reveal of his muscled upper body delighted. He threw it at the floor, too, above Lois's.

He lightly ran the tip of his tongue over her lips, slowly and teasingly. Lois bit his lower lip, a smirk on her lips as Clark moaned. Clark left her mouth and started to kiss and suck her neck, leaving temporary hickeys on her skin.

His hands went behind her back to open her bra. He then slid the straps of the bra down her arms, exposing her voluminous breasts. He threw it over his shirt on the floor. He smiled as he admired the beauty of her body and face. He put two fingers under her chin, lifting her face to look at him. "I love you," he said in an almost inaudible voice.

Lois nodded, her face so peaceful, angelical. She put her hand on his shoulder and hair as he started to kiss her again.

On the drive to the chapel, Lana kept taking deep breaths. She was growing nervous. She placed her hand on belly, reminding herself what was at stake now.

In Clark's bedroom, his lips kissed Lois's chest gently. His hands massaged her breasts lightly. His mouth descended further, landing on her nipple. He sucked and bit it mercilessly, making Lois utter moans after moans. He then repeated the same movement on the other nipple.

Clark sat up on the bed and took his shoes and socks off. He took hers off next. He then leaned in to kiss her belly, his nose rubbing her lightly, intoxicated by her smell. He started to unbutton her jeans, lifting her hips a little so he could slide the jeans down her legs.

He lay down next to Lois and kissed her. His hand grabbed her butt, pulling her hips close to his crotch. She felt his erection practically screaming to come out of his pants. Her hands then went to his belt, unfastening it.

Lois climbed on top of him, straddling him. Cupping his face with both her hands, she devoured his mouth, her lips brushing his passionately. She dug her fingers into his hair as her mouth went to his neck and she sucked on his skin. Lois descended further and put her mouth over his nipple, biting it. Clark bit back a moan. She giggled.

She sat on her knees and slowly took Clark's jeans off, leaving him only in his boxers. She lay on top of him, tasting his lips again.

Lex's wait for his bride was over when he sighted her at the entrance of the chapel. He smiled, oblivious to Lana's hidden sadness as he she walked down the aisle alone. Chloe could saw it, pitying her friend.

Clark kept kissing Lois as one of his hand stroke Lois's back and the other one tried to tuck her hair behind her ear, unsuccessfully. He then rolled her onto her back, giving her several lip-sucking kisses.

He pulled away, his eyes turning their attention to her panties. He slid it down her legs, drooling at her magnificent figure. Lois breathed hard as he touched lightly her core.

Clark took a deep breath and started to take off his boxers. His hard cock was begging for attention as it was watched by a clearly aroused Lois. Clark hesitated, the newness of the situation finally catching up on him. Lois noted it and extended her hand, her serene face giving him the courage he needed. He took her hand and put it closer to his face, kissing the back of it. He then interlaced his fingers with hers.

He lay down on top of her again, taking her lips in his.

Lana took her position in the altar, giving Lex a small smile. The ceremony then started. When the objection part came, Lana looked at the entrance of the chapel, but he never came. It was just a dream after all. The ceremony soon continued with the vows.

"You're perfect. You're more than what I could ever hope for. I love you," Clark said to Lois as he gave kisses all over her body. His hand ran up and down between her tights and core.

"I love you, too. That's all that matters to me," Lois said, her eyes closed in pure bliss.

Clark smiled widely. Hearing this from her never gets old. He put two fingers over her entrance and started to prepare her for him. Lois shivered. He then slipped a finger inside her wet folds, causing Lois to moan loudly. He pushed it in and out for several seconds until he pulled away.

He leveled himself up so he was face to face with her. He wrapped one arm around her as his free hand held his cock. He teased her entrance for a bit. Slowly, he finally pushed himself into her. She tilted her head back, fighting the moans that were threatening to escape off her mouth. He took the opportunity to place kisses on her jaw.

He thrust inside of her a few times before pulling away. He then went to grab a condom in his drawer.

Lex promptly said "I do" to the priest's question. Lana hesitated a little, but also accepted Lex as her husband. They started to exchange vows.

After putting the condom on, Clark slowly pushed himself inside her again. His thrusts were slow and steady. They gazed at each other intensely. Clark increased his speed as her core started to get wetter. Lois held her lover in a stronger grip, needing his ardent body closer to hers.

His grabbed her leg, wrapping it around his waist. He repositioned himself inside her and thrust deeper and hard. He used his thumb to stroke her nipple, giving her even more pleasure.

Clark rocked his hips back and forth, filling her with every bit of his huge cock. Lois dug her fingernails on his shoulder, her body tensing with his passionate thrust. She then ran her fingers into his hair, urging him closer, their lips crashing together.

His cock kept pulsing within her tight core, his limit close to being reached. He pounded into her harder, deeper. He was almost breathless. His mouth sucked on her neck. Lois rocked her hips along his, their movements causing an immeasurable ecstasy of love.

They kept going and going until Lois's body shuddered, her entrance tightening around his shaft. She had reached the orgasm. Multiple ones. She tightened her arms around his shoulders, holding him closely to her as long as she could. Clark maintained his hard thrusts.

Not long after, Clark finally came along Lois's last orgasm. Meanwhile, at the chapel, Lex and Lana shared their first kiss as husband and wife.

Panting, both Clark and Lois looked up, not anything in particular, seeing only blur due to their state of pure bliss. They were smiling from ear to ear. "I guess I should stop calling you Smallville," Lois joked.

Clark laughed. He looked at her, putting his arm around her waist. "Clark is fine by me."

"How about 'Hot Stuff?'"

He leaned in and kissed her cheek and neck. "Anything you pick is fine by me."

She looked at him and then looked down, raising an eyebrow seeing his member still hard, covered by the dirty condom. "Man of steel, aren't you?"

He looked down and then back at her, a cocky grin on his face. "Just happy to have you here in my humble room."

"You know what you have to do when you bring guests over, right?"

"Make them feel at home? You got it. I'll make sure you never want to leave." Clark climbed on top of Lois and took her lips in his, ready to give her new waves of pleasure.

Arm in arm, Lana and Lex walked out of the chapel, heading to the car that would take them to the wedding reception. He had a huge smile on his face whereas Lana wore a weak smile. As the car started to be driven away, Lana looked back one last time. No sight of him at all. It was really over.

-º-

Clark and Lois climbed down the stairs to the kitchen. He was wearing a white T-shirt and pajamas pants, while she was wearing just his football jersey. Lois checked out his butt as he went to the fridge to grab a jar with the little orange juice left.

They giggled as they exchanged provocative looks. Clark poured two glasses with orange juice, one of them with more than the other. Clark grabbed the less filled glass and drank it, not taking his eyes off her. Lois motioned to drink hers, but her focus was completely on him. "So, how long do you think your mother will be out?" Lois asked.

"I think she'll stay for the reception."

Lois flashed Clark a sensual smiled and started to walk past the stairs.

Clark chuckled. "Lois…" She wrapped her hands around a column in the house and turned around to look at him. "The bedrooms upstairs," he said, tilting his head at the stairs.

"Mmhm, but the porch swing, is out there," she tilted her head at the door. She then walked to there again.

Clark smiled and then superspeeded to stop her before she opened the door. He grabbed her wrist and turned her around, placing her hand above her head and pushing her against the door. He then leaned in and gave her a passionate lip-lock.

Lois put her arms around his neck as she draped her leg around his. Between the kisses, and with Clark's help, she took his shirt off his body. His lips brushed hers hungrily.

Giggling, Lois pushed him off her and opened the door, eager for more action outside the house. Her expression changed to shocked once she turned around and saw a certain someone heading to the door. "Mrs. K!"

"Mom!" Clark uttered, embarrassed. He placed his hand over his crotch, covering his visible erection.

Martha's eyes were open-wide. She was speechless, also feeling embarrassed by the situation.

Lionel, who came with her, smiled, amused. "Oh, the youth."


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

"Lane!"

Lois gave an exasperated sigh after she heard her name being called by her supervisor Jason Bailey one more time. It was her third day working as an intern at the Daily Planet. Impatient as only she was to get into the action, she was growing bored of the obituaries phone calls, paper copies, and theory classes at night.

Lois stood next to her supervisor's desk. He was dark-haired man in his mid thirties, his receding hairline making him apparent older than he was. "Yes?" She spoke.

The man handed her a few papers. "Make four copies each. Hurry," he said, without sparing her even a glance.

She nodded and started to head to the copy room, an annoyed expression on her face.

Lois was starting to make copies of the archives when she was approached by Chloe. "Your frustrated sigh can be heard from my desk," Chloe said.

"Good. Do you think the editor did hear that, too?"

"Lois, you've been here only three days. It take some time until you got to do more than that, trust me," Chloe told her, pointing at the copy machine.

Lois sighed. "I just feel I could do more, you know, with…" She lowered her voice. "With my powers and all."

"It's kinda unfair to us mere regular people," Chloe said, a little uncomfortable.

Lois looked surprised at her cousin's remark. "Oh, no… I didn't mean that way. What I'm trying to say is that the powers can help me in something that I think I'm already good at."

Chloe nodded. "You're good at it. But, from my own personal experience, you don't get to make the headline overnight, you have to start from the bottom and go climbing until you reach the status you deserve."

Lois pondered it. "Perhaps. But shouldn't I impress them from day one, show them I'm special?"

Before Chloe could answer, Lois's cell phone rang. She looked who was the caller and then at her cousin. "It's Clark."

A smug smiled appeared on Chloe's face. "I'll leave you two alone." She then left.

Lois chuckled, annoyed. She then put her phone on her ear. "Hey," she answered it, her lips curling into a grin.

"Hey. How's everything going over there?" Clark asked.

"Bored as hell. I want to take this skirt off, put on a pair of jeans and join you in the Zoners hunt."

"Don't, you look great in skirt."

She chuckled. "I know, you told me the same thing yesterday. And the day before yesterday."

"And it still is the truth."

Lois sighed, shaking her head. "Any clues so far of the remaining Zoners?"

"None," Clark's voice sounded disappointed. "But I find out something."

"What?"

"Apparently, there's a third person looking for the Zoners. According to the locals, a man who matches our martian acquaintance description had been asking the same questions I did."

She frowned. "If he's on our side, then why is he working alone on this?"

"I don't know. I'm about to follow some leads about his whereabouts."

"Okay. Keep me informed!"

"I'll try my best, but I may not be able to contact you as there won't be cell phone reception where I'm about to go."

"Well, just be careful, okay?"

"Always. I'll see you tonight. Love you."

"Love you, too. See you then. Bye."

Lois hung up the phone and got back to her task.

-º-

Lois was reading some papers when her phone rang again. She looked at the caller number. Unknown. "Hello?" She answered it, frowning.

"Lois? It's me. Victor."

"Oh, hey, Victor. How are you?"

"I need your help. It's an emergency," Victor said, his breathing was uneven.

Lois looked worried. "What happened?"

"I'll tell you when you get here."

She gathered the papers she was reading, preparing to leave. "Okay, tell me where you are. I'll be there in less than a minute." True to her words, Lois arrived at Oliver's mansion in Star City, where Victor was, several seconds later. She found him in Oliver's office analyzing some images on a big screen. "Hey. What happened?"

"Oliver and AC are missing," Victor said, worry evident on his face. He then looked at her. "Where's Clark? I tried to call him, but I couldn't reach him."

"Out of the country. There's no signal reception where he is." Lois looked concerned at Victor. "What happened to Ollie and AC?"

"First AC went to investigate a lead on the 33.1 that came up. One day had passed and we hadn't heard from him. Then, Oliver went look for him and I lost contact with him, too."

"What about Bart? Where is he?"

"Oliver gave him one week vacation and a lot of money to spend on. He must be all over the planet, I couldn't track him down."

"You guys should have told him to stay alert in case you needed him."

"Bart has been helping us a lot, Oliver thought he deserved a break. Besides, we weren't supposed to go after the 33.1 this week, but out of nowhere something came up."

Lois sighed. "Let me guess, you were set up?"

Victor nodded. "Probably."

Lois walked toward the big screen, studying the images in it. "So, do you have any idea where they are now?"

Victor stood beside her. "They went missing in the desert of Utah. My best guess is that there's a facility or at least a safe house of the 33.1 in the middle of the forest area."

"How long since Oliver last contacted you?"

"Three hours ago." Victor gulped. "Lois, my main worry is that if Oliver was really captured, odds are that Lex will find out he's Green Arrow. It'll ruin every progress we've been making so far."

"Let's hope for the best." She took a deep breath. "We don't have much time left. Is there something more comfortable for me to wear around here?" She said, adjusting her skirt, uncomfortable.

"Uh, actually, there is." Victor pressed a button, opening a hidden room behind the bookshelf, revealing the team's costumes, including Lois's. "Oliver knew we'd need you someday, so he kept a reserve costume, just in case."

Lois didn't look so happy. "Oh god, I thought I'd gotten rid of this one."

He chuckled. "Until you find something better to use, you'll have to keep wearing this one."

She sighed. "Whatever." Then, in less than a second, she had changed to Stiletto.

Victor was taken by surprise. "Wow, that was fast." He took a deep breath. "Shall we?"

"Um, you'll stay right here."

"What?" He asked, puzzled.

"I can deal with it by myself. And in case I might need help, here," she handed him her cell phone. "Wait for Clark to call and tell him where we are."

Victor opened his mouth to say something, but closed it again. He then walked to the desk and grabbed something in the drawer. "Take this earpiece, so I can locate and talk to you."

She nodded and took it, putting it on her ear.

Victor gave her a small smile. "Good luck."

-º-

"There's nothing here but rocks and sand," Lois told Victor.

"You're exactly where Oliver last contacted me. Do you see any forest near?"

"Not exactly near, but yeah, I see it. Wait a second." Lois tilted her head and started to use her super hearing. "I think I heard something. Talk to you later."

Lois started to explore the forest, walking carefully. She was grateful for her powers when she saw a bear, which would freak her out if she was her old powerless self. She kept walking, alert to the sounds.

Her super hearing finally picked a heavy breathing. She followed the sound. Approaching it, she was met with an arrow shot in her direction. She held it before it hit her. "Oliver!" she hissed.

"Legs," he smiled seeing her. He had his back leaned against a tree, his face showing complete exhaustion.

Lois stood beside him. "What happened?" She asked, concerned.

"A man… Or at least it looks like a man, attacked me."

Lois used her x-ray vision on Oliver. "You have a fractured bone in your right arm."

"Probably why I'm feeling all of this pain," he joked, but his uneven breathing showed he was suffering.

"I'll take you to a hospital."

"Not yet. AC is here, they're trying to test him. They want to know where his powers come from."

She pondered it. "Okay. I'll rescue AC and you stay put." She took the earpiece out of her ear and offered it to Oliver. "Keep in touch with Victor."

Oliver took it. "Lois, be careful. This guy, he has strength, and agility, and has invisibility. He's dangerous."

"Don't worry, Jolly Green Giant. My arsenal is bigger," she gave him a wink. When she turned to leave, a big, black-haired man stood in front of her and without hesitation punched her in the face, sending her flying.

"Lois!" Oliver shouted. Seeing the man approaching him, he tried to shot him with his crossbow, in vain. Unarmed and wounded, there was nothing more Oliver could do. But before he could get to Oliver, Lois came back punching the hell out of him, sending him flying far from there.

"Go to somewhere safe," she said. She then ran to the man to finish the fight.

"Cyborg to Stiletto," Victor called through the earpiece.

"Cyborg, it's Green Arrow."

"Oh, thank god you're fine, man." Victor said, relief in his voice. "Where's Stiletto?"

"Dealing with a bad guy."

"Are you feeling okay? Are you hurt?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Oliver lied. "What's up?"

"I intercepted a radio communication. There is a helicopter ready to take off near where you are."

"It's AC. They probably want to take him to one of their facilities." Oliver grabbed his crossbow on the ground and started to run to there with a little difficulty.

Several feet away from there, Lois glared at the man on the ground. "Who are you?"

The guy stood up, not uttering even a word. His eyes completely soulless. Suddenly, he disappeared in front of Lois. She looked around, trying to locate him with her x-ray vision, but it didn't work on him.

The man appeared behind Lois and hit her again, this time with not much effect.

"You punch like a lady," Lois mocked. She tried to punch him back, but he was able to avert it and became invisible again.

Lois sighed. Since her eyes weren't working, she decided to turn on her super hearing. She easily tracked his breathing, which confirmed that there was at least something human about this guy. She waited for him to get closer to her and then executed a side kick right into his face, making his left ear bleed nonstop.

She then grabbed him by the neck and pressed him against a tree. "Who are you? What are you?"

He didn't reply. He didn't even show fear of her. She used her x-ray vision one more time on him, this time confirming he was indeed completely human. Lois was guessing he was the newest experiment of the 33.1.

His hand then went behind his back and took a knife. He then tried to stab Lois, in vain. The knife had broken.

Lois raised an eyebrow. "Seriously?" She then punched him in the face, trying to put him unconscious. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the man starting to close his eyes. She'd decide what to do with him later, now she needed to rescue AC.

Lois started to walk away, but was pulled to the ground by the hair.

-º-

Oliver sighted the helicopter ready to take off. He could see AC in there, unconscious. Oliver ran to it and clung to the skid. He breathed hard as he realized how high in the air they already were.

With much difficulty and practically using one arm, he managed to sit on the skid. He took a quick glance inside the aircraft. Aside of AC, there was a doctor, a body guard, and the pilot.

Oliver took a deep breath, he'd need all the strength he had and didn't have to do this. He then used his good arm to stand up and took the body guard by surprise and hit him in the head with his own. Oliver took the opportunity to get into the helicopter.

"Green Arrow! How did you manage to escape from our super soldier?" The doctor asked.

Oliver smiled cockily. "I'm a hard catch." He then punched the doctor hard enough to make him fall unconscious.

He turned around to look at the pilot. "Get us back on the ground!" He demanded.

"Don't do this!" The body guard spoke. Oliver turned around to look at him, shocked to see the man pointing a gun at him. "The boss will be happy to know we have both Aquaman and Green Arrow with us."

Oliver put his left arm up in surrender. "You don't have to do this."

"Shut up!" The man checked his wound with his free hand, a little blood in his forehead. He was still feeling a little dizzy because of the hit. Oliver realized it and then advanced at the man, trying to take the gun out of his hand.

Clearly in disadvantage, Oliver mostly managed to avoid being hit by the bullets shot. The body guard pushed him against the closed door of the helicopter. Oliver screamed in pain as the fracture in his arm's bone became even worst.

The man was about to shoot Oliver when the alarm of the helicopter shot. One of the bullets had hit its system. "We're falling. We're gonna crash," the pilot said, desperate.

-º-

The super soldier kept hiding from Lois, while she grew annoyed. She needed to end this immediately. She waited for him to try to attack her. When he did, she counter attacked with consecutive punches.

She only stopped when she heard Oliver calling her for help. From distance. She looked up saw it. A helicopter leaving a trail of smoke in the air as it was falling. She gulped as she x-rayed it and saw Oliver and AC there.

She ran to a closer place where she could see it. She could reach them by super leaping, but she wasn't sure how she'd land it. If only she could fly.

If she could fly…

She had to try. She had it in her. "C'mon, Lois. Remember how you learn all of your other powers. Close your eyes and focus on what you want to do." She tried to gain focus, but hearing Oliver's heavy breathing was getting in the way. "C'mon."

Her feet hovered over the ground, but she was quickly back on the ground. She saw the helicopter getting closer to hit the ground and shook her head. She super leaped forward. "C'mon."

In flying position, she closed her eyes again. "C'mon, Lois. You can do it." She started to feel her body getting lighter and started to gain more control over her body in the air.

She opened her eyes and moved to higher heights. She smiled widely. She did it, didn't she?

Her face then turned serious and focused on saving the helicopter. She flew forward, faster, like a brighter light in an already sunny day, despite the black colors in her costume. She reached the helicopter right before it crashed on the ground.

Lois placed the aircraft carefully in a desert area. She stood in front of the shocked crew, wearing the most proud smile on her face.

-º-

"After some bottles of water, AC is fine," Oliver told Lois as he joined her to watch the sunset in Utah.

"Where's he?"

"Against my own rest advice, he's back to work, collecting some data about the super soldier. His name was Michael Westwood, he was a good man and a good soldier. According to the doctor, he was practically dead when they took him in. When we shut him down, he went back to just being a dead body."

Lois sighed. "It doesn't justify what they did to him. There was no life left in that man's eyes, Oliver. That's just cruel."

He nodded. "I know."

"Did they at least admit LuthorCorp did it?"

"No, I don't think he will, either. Lex usually threatens his most important employee's family."

"Will this guy ever pay for what he's done?"

"I'll do everything in my power to make that happen."

"What about those guys, what will you do with them?"

"We'll collect more information from them, and then probably hand them for the cops. Which will probably end in nothing, but it's the most we can do."

She nodded.

Oliver studied her. "What you did there, that was pretty amazing."

She smiled. "It felt amazing. You always this idea what flying is like, and it ends up even better than what you pictured." She looked at him. "You feel free."

Oliver smiled back. "You saved us. You and boy scout make a great pair."

"Can't wait to show it to him." Her face then turned serious realizing for the first time the improvised sling for his fractured arm. "How's your arm? I think we should take you to the hospital to take care of it."

Oliver shook his head. "Don't worry about it. Victor is coming here. The guy's great for those things."

Lois looked skeptical. "Are you sure? It won't take more than a few minutes to take you there, especially now that I'm flying."

"I am. Go home, I'm sure there's a farmer in all of his tan glory waiting for you there."

"Oliver…"

He smiled again. "Go!"

Lois sighed. "Take care of this arm. This world can't stay much longer without its best archer."

He nodded and smiled widely. "Will do."

They hugged. "Bye," they said to each other.

Oliver watched as Lois flew away. She couldn't stop the grin on her face. She was flying. She was actually flying. After a rocky start, things were looking brighter than ever in her new life.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

"Where are we going to?" Clark asked as Lois held his hand and led him out in an open field of the farm.

Lois stopped and turned around to look at him. "We're here," she said, with arms wide open.

He looked around, confused. "What for?"

She leaned in and smiled. "For this." She then kissed him. Despite the slightly frown on his face, Clark quickly responded to her sweet lips touching his. She wrapped her arm around his waist tightly as her lips brushed his and her tongue danced with his.

Lois broke the kiss suddenly. Clark opened his eyes slowly, missing the contact. He saw Lois wearing a grin bigger than life. "We should continue doing this in my bedroom," he said.

"Oh, I don't know, I like it here under the stars," she told him, looking around, a secret smile on her lips.

Clark looked puzzled. He finally followed the movements of her head and looked around, up and down. They were several thousand of feet above the ground. He looked back at her, eyes wide-open. "You… Y-you're flying?!"

She nodded, happiness evident on her face.

"When? How?"

"When the helicopter that Oliver and AC were in was about to crash, there was only way I could land them in safety. So I flew and did it." The surprised look didn't leave Clark's face. "It was the most amazing feeling I'd ever had – aside when I'm with you, of course. I feel like I can do anything now."

Her smile didn't reach him, who didn't know what to make of it. "I… Uh… Can you put me back on the ground?" he asked, a certain distance in his voice.

She looked surprised. "Oh." She tried to look into his eyes, but he was looking down. "O… Okay."

She descended them slowly, her eyes trying to reach and read his, but he was averting his eyes. When their feet were finally back on the ground, Clark pulled away from her. "I-I should go. I have a lot work tomorrow," he said, not meeting her eyes.

"Clark…"

"I'll… I'll see you tomorrow," he gave her a weak smile as he started to walk away.

Lois watched him go, confused. She wondered what just happened. Was it about her flying and he isn't? She motioned to go after him but stopped, not sure what to say or to do.

She just sighed. She'd wait tomorrow to talk to him.

-º-

Two days had passed since the night flight. Clark and Chloe were at her desk in the Daily Planet watching a video where two powered big guys were fighting in a cage.

"Clark, can you believe this? A krypto fight club on the internet? How come nobody else knows about this?" Chloe said, a mix of disgust and concern in her face.

"According to Oliver, getting the link and the password costs more than most people make in a year," Clark replied.

As they kept watching the video, they were surprised when they saw one of the fighters blasting some sort of energy against the other one, inefficiently. The expression on their faces then changed to horror as they watched the other guy sliding a huge spike out of his forearm and plunged it into the back of his opponent, killing him.

"Clark, he just killed that guy," she said, averting her eyes from the screen.

"Chloe, I need you to trace the link back to the source."

She started typing on her computer, getting different results. "I'm trying, but they're bouncing it off about a billion different proxy servers. I mean, whoever's running this operation made sure that no one would be able to find him. Didn't Oliver and your super pals give you anything else?"

"It was a short conversation, Chloe. Oliver has been busy with the super soldier situation. All he said was he thought the location was somewhere nearby."

"The security on this stream is off the charts. I mean, I can't record it, I can't download it. I can't..."

A man arrived in the video to declare the winner of the fight. "Hey, hey, fight fans! Your winner and still undisputed champion... the one, the only... Titan!" He spoke as he lifted the winner's right arm.

"Freeze that frame," Clark said, noting something. Chloe did as he asked. "What is that?"

Chloe closed up the image of a tattoo on Titan's arm. "Is that kryptonian?" She asked.

"It's a prison tattoo. Chloe, Titan isn't a meteor-infected. He's from the Phantom Zone." Clark looked worried at her. "Can you find this place today?"

"I don't think so. I can keep trying to find its source, but it'll probably be easier to find this place if I find who's the guy killed by the Zoner, which still will take some time."

He nodded. "Okay, keep me informed." He then cleared his throat. "Um… Chloe, can you please keep this between us?"

Chloe raised an eyebrow at him. "You mean keep this from your girlfriend who you've been avoiding for those past couple of days." Clark gulped. "Yeah, she told me what happened. Are you seriously upset because she's flying and you're not?"

He sighed. "This has nothing to do with it."

She ignored his commentary. "It's really unfair what you've been doing to her. She's feeling hurt."

"Look, Chloe, trust me on this. You know what one of those Zoners almost did to me, you just saw what this Titan did. It's dangerous and I prefer Lois to stay out of this. I promise you I'll deal with my issues after I deal with this."

Chloe pondered it and then sighed. "I promised Lois I wouldn't keep secrets from her anymore. Besides, it's dangerous for you to go alone, too."

"I have more experience dealing with the Zoners. Don't worry." He looked at her with pleading eyes. "Please…"

She closed her eyes and gave a week nod.

"Thank you," he said, giving her a small smile.

-º-

The next day, Chloe was sitting in her apartment, working on her laptop and printing a screen of Titan being declared the winner of last night's fight, when Clark superspeeded in, knocking over her coffee on the print in the process and giving Chloe a scare.

"Clark... slow down," Chloe said, annoyed. She got up and threw the cup of coffee and the ruined print in the garbage. "I don't have enough money to hire a full-time maid to clean up every time you decide to blow in."

"Sorry," he said, giving her an apologetic look. "What did you find?"

She grabbed a cloth and started to clean the mess on the table. "The URL and the password that Oliver gave you are both null and void, which means that the fight-club promoters must be rotating them in order to maximize security and profit." After finishing it, she then sat down and focused back on her laptop. "But as you know, I always have something up my sleeve. I'm starting to think that super-sleuthing might be my latent krypto power," she chuckled as she bragged about it.

Chloe continued. "Okay, so it turns out that our Billy Idol look-alike is actually a meteor-infected Belle Reve resident. Now, this is the weird thing. After he was killed in that cage, he was returned back to his padded cell. The orderlies found his body this morning."

"So if we find who got him in and out of the hospital, he'll lead us straight to the fight club... And to Titan," Clark said.

"Already on it. See? Your sidekick still got it."

"I'm just worried that Titan might be a bigger threat than I thought." Clark took some papers and pictures out of his bag and handed it to Chloe. "Your friend down at Metropolis precinct helped me find these. It's Titan's victims. They were all found between a crater outside of Omaha, where I think he landed, and Metropolis."

"He left the same wound on all the bodies, and... And they're all fighters."

"I know why. The tattoo on Titan's arm. From what I could tell, it said he was a warrior, enhanced for combat. Ever since he's been here, he's been looking for a fight."

"What better challenge for a brawl-loving Zoner than a rumble at a krypto fight club?" She added.

Lois then walked into the apartment. She froze once she saw Clark. "Uh… Hi."

Clark instantly put the papers back in his bag. Silence took over the room as Clark and Lois just kept staring at each other and Chloe shot glances at both of them.

Lois then looked at the screen on Chloe's laptop, puzzled. "What are you two up to?"

Chloe's eyes shot wide-open and she quickly closed her laptop. "Uh, my new article. It's… Um… It's just a dead end."

Clark cleared his throat and got ready to leave. "I should go back to the farm." He stopped in front of her. "I… Err… I-I'll talk to you later, okay?" He then gave her a quick and a sort of uncomfortable peck on her lips and left the apartment.

"And I should go back to the Daily Planet." Chloe grabbed her purse and laptop and followed Clark.

Lois sighed. Clark's still avoiding her, because of something that wasn't even her fault. She was growing irritated of the way he's been treating her.

She shook her head, she should be focusing on her job instead. She picked up cell phone and started dialing a number. "Hello, Oliver?"

"Lois, hey," Oliver answered it. "How have you been?"

"I'm fine. How's the super soldier's investigation going?"

"So far we just discovered the name of the project. Project Ares. Unfortunately, Lex is being extra careful now that one of his puppets was deactivated." A clear of a throat could be heard in Oliver's end of the line. "What about the tip I gave you guys, any advance on it?"

Lois frowned. "What tip?"

"The illegal meteor-infected fight club. Didn't Clark tell you?"

"No, he hadn't."

"Is everything okay between you guys?" Oliver asked, concern in his voice.

"Yeah, I've been just busy at work. That's all," she lied. "I'll ask him about it."

"Alright. Let me know if anything comes up."

"I will. Bye."

"Bye."

Lois looked at her cell phone, anger building inside her. How could he do that to her? All that talk about partnership for nothing. If he'd do it without her, she'd do it without him, before him.

She then remembered the image on Chloe's laptop. She was helping him. She had to find a way to steal the information they had.

Lois took the final sip of her coffee and went to throw the cup in the garbage. She then saw a piece of crumpled paper in there. Curiosity took the best of her and she grabbed it. Lois smiled as she realized it was from the fight club Oliver mentioned.

She raised an eyebrow as she saw the kryptonian symbols on the man's arm. She also managed to translate it thanks to the lessons Clark gave to her. This guy wasn't a meteor-infected, he was a Zoner, she realized.

However, this wasn't the thing that really grabbed Lois's attention. She took a closer look at the image. "'Fr-44,'" she read. "Fort Ryan, hangar 44," she smiled triumphantly as she managed to find the place where the fight happened.

-º-

Lois arrived at the Fort Ryan in a full length red leather suit, easily entering the main room where the fights happened. Before she could further look into it, a woman's voice stopped her.

"Hey, Puss in Boots. Where you going?" A blonde, muscled woman, a little smaller than her, asked.

"Looking around, taking a little trip down the memory lane."

"What are you all dressed up for, kitten?" The woman looked Lois over, showing interest that only certain kind of women had.

"Oh, I'm here for a good fight." She took a picture out of her jacket. "Against this man, more precisely," she said, pointing to Titan in the image.

"You mean Titan?" The woman then laughed. "Oh, kitten, you're cute. You know, you're better off doing other kinds of things with this costume than fighting against the big guy."

"I don't know, you'd be surprised how good I'm at this."

"Okay, look, usually I'd kill you right here, but you're such a pretty girl, I don't wanna do it. So I'll just let you walk away and forget about this place, alright?"

Lois looked unconcerned. "And if I don't go want to?"

The woman then reached her back and took a gun, pointing it at Lois. "Then you leave me no other choice."

The expression on Lois's face didn't change. Lois then took the gun out of the woman's hand, to her shock, and then cupped the woman's face, who tried to free herself, in vain. "Good dreams, kitty cat." Lois then knocked her out with the tip of her finger.

Lois tried to access the computers of the fight club in the hope of finding Titan, but she got nothing due to her poor computer skills. Before she could look further for Titan, though, she started taking pictures of the place. She had realized earlier this could be her first article for the Daily Planet.

As she snapped pictures of the place, a man appeared in front of her, pointing a gun at her. "Look what we got here," he said.

Lois recognized him. "You're the host of the fight club."

"And you know too much."

"I like to keep myself informed."

"Not for long," the man had all the intention to shoot her.

Lois sighed. "Look, let's make this conversation short." Her hand reached the gun and then she crushed it effortlessly. "Where's Titan?"

The man stared at her shocked. "I… I…"

Lois let out a frustrated sigh. She then grabbed him by the collar and pressed him against the grid of the cage. "Where's Titan?" She yelled, glaring at him.

The man looked at her in a cold sweat. "I-I don't know. He's not here. I don't control the big guy, he comes here when it pleases him… I mean, when it's time to fight."

Lois moved closer, giving him her most threatening glare. "Then you'll put me against him in tonight's fight. Do you hear me?"

He nodded several times, terrified of her.

"Good."

-º-

Chloe and Clark's investigation led them to find out that the host of fight club was Richtor Maddox, executive administrator of Belle Reve, which was why the place reunited so many meteor-infected people.

Clark then confronted Maddox outside the Belle Reve, also managing to get into the fight club.

"Yes! Hey, what do you think of the name 'the Man of Steel'?" Richtor asked as he and Clark walked into the fight club arena.

"'Man of steel'?" Clark asked. He was wearing black leather jacket and black leather pants. His T-shirt and boots were also black.

"Yeah, I give all the fighters their monikers. Trust me kid, it's a name that no one's ever going to forget. I got a feeling about these things. Some people say I'm psychic. Now, remember. Play it up for the cameras. People are forking over top dollar to see these fights online, all right?" Richtor said as he dressed up, with the help of his women assistant, for the show.

"Where's the crowd?"

"Crowd? What crowd? We don't have a crowd. Can't have a crowd if you want to keep this secret. Besides, who needs an audience when you got 50,000 watts of sound? Check that out. I just bought that," Richtor pointed at the sound team turning on the crowd sound, overly excited.

"Gate!" He and Clark entered the cage as its cage opened. "Now, here's how it works. We sell the spectacle to the 'high rollers' online. And the noise pumps up the fighters for the fight," he said, playing boxing in front of Clark.

Clark looked around. "Where's Titan?"

"Titan? Unh-unh. That's the main event. See, you're not the only one who wants Titan, he's quite a star here. All it'll take is one of you two to die. FYI, I'm rooting for you, pretty boy."

"Then who am I fighting?"

"Ah." Richter grinned and pointed with both of his index fingers to the other gate.

"Get off me! I can walk there alone," Lois said, irritated, as she walked into the cage.

Clark looked shocked. "Lois?"

Lois turned around to look at him, not that much surprised. "Smallville."

Clark breathed hard, worried.

-º-

"Stand by on one. We're online... in 3... 2... 1," the sound technician said.

The gate opened and Richtor entered the cage and took hold of the suspended microphone. "Hey, fight fans! Are you ready? Tonight's undercard is a special twin matchup introducing two new combatants. In this corner, the voluptuous... the vicious... Vixen!" The cheers and applause sound were activated as Lois entered the arena accompanied by one of the assistants, who took off her jacket, revealing a red leather short top that left her belly bare, to Lois's annoyance. "Yummy," he gave a perverted smile.

"And now... entering our arena for the very first time... ladies and gentlemen, please welcome... the all-powerful, the all-american... Man of Steel!"

Clark entered the arena, his face not happy at all.

"I can't wait. Ladies," Richtor called his assistants and started to leave arm in arm with them. "Good luck, pretty boy. You're gonna need it."

After Maddox left and the cage was closed, Clark approached Lois. "Lois, what are you doing here?" He asked.

Lois circled him. "Inviting myself to the party. Does that upset you?" There was bitterness in her voice.

"Lois, I didn't tell you because –"

"Don't. I'm just here to end the threat of Titan. Now, punch me."

"What?"

"Look, it won't hurt me, just do it to make it look real. All they want is a fight. So when I hit the mat, Maddox will come back in. And then the fight against Titan starts."

"I'm not going to punch you, Lois."

Lois rolled her eyes and gritted her teeth. "Fine. Then you take the dive." She then threw a punch, but Clark grabbed her fist before it hit him.

"Stop it. The cameras," he tilted his head, reminding her. He then turned his head and fried all the broadcast equipment with his heat vision.

Titan showed up, staring angrily at Clark inside the cage. "Kal-El." He then opened the gate forcefully.

Clark and Lois breathed hard as they saw the man they were looking for.

Titan started to walk towards Clark, but Richtor tried to intervene. "Whoa! Wait, wait. The light feed went down."

Titan barely spared Richtor a glance before hitting him hard, throwing him outside the cage and killing him. It set the alarm off, and after seeing the host dead, the rest of the crew started to leave, desperate.

"Lois… Run!" Clark shouted before being punched violently by Titan, which sent him flying against the grid of the grade. He ended up on the floor, disoriented.

Lois looked worried at Clark. She had to act fast, though, once she saw Titan heading towards Clark to finish him off. "Never let a man do a woman's job." Lois then grabbed him by his shirt, and threw him across the cage.

She went after him and waited for him to get up. "C'mon, big guy. I didn't even show my best moves."

Titan smiled, enjoying the showdown. Lois motioned to punch Titan in the face, but he stopped her with the palm of his hand. He then wrapped his other hand around her neck and lifted her body out of the floor. Lois started to gasp for air.

A beam of heat vision shot at the back of Titan's hand made him free Lois. "Leave her alone!" Clark shouted. He had a trace of blood coming out of his mouth.

"She means nothing to me. You're the fight I've been hoping for."

Clark launched himself at Titan and threw several punches at him, in the face and on the stomach, trying to send him away from Lois as far as he could. He managed to throw Titan across the arena, destroying one of the columns of the hangar. The impact also caused most of the lights of the place, one by one, to fry.

Clark ran to Lois's side, who was still recovering her breathing. "Are you okay?" He asked, concerned.

"I'm fine," she said, coldly. "Just need some air."

Clark held out his hand to help her, but she refused it.

"I can get up by my own."

He sighed. "You should stay out of this. You're not prepared to fight someone like him."

She looked offended. "Funny you mention it, as far as I can tell, I have an advantage you don't."

"Your flight ability means nothing here. You almost got choked because you're too careless," he snapped.

"Oh, bite me." Lois flew toward Titan, leaving a taken aback Clark behind. Reaching her opponent, Lois punched him several times in the face. Her blows were full of anger, leaving open wounds all over the Zoner's face.

Titan got to avoid one of Lois's punches and counter attacked with his elbow, hitting her face. He then grabbed her hair and pushed her face against the wall. Her nose and eyebrow started to bleed nonstop.

"Lois!" Clark tried to help her, but was met by Titan's free arm, being thrown across the arena. The Zoner then activated the spike in his forearm, ready to plunge it into Lois.

Before Titan could do what he wanted, Lois kicked his leg and returned the elbow strike at Titan, freeing herself completely. She then threw a punch strong enough to send him back to the center of the cage.

Lois, as well Clark, ran towards the Zoner, but as both of them moved closer to Titan, he took the opportunity to hold both of their heads and made them crash together. He then focused on the dizzy Clark and started to hit him in the stomach several times, not giving him the slight chance to breath.

Lois watched horrified as Clark gasped in pain. Feeling dizzy herself, she managed to get up with difficulty. She took a deep breath and jumped on Titan, knocking him down. She crept to Clark, who was laid down on his back, trying to regain his breath. "Are you okay?" She asked, worried.

Clark looked at her, breathing heavily. "You… Y-You're… Bleeding," he said, his voice full of concern.

"You should look yourself in the mirror," she said, smiling like only she would in this situation.

"I don't like to see you bleeding."

"You've seen me worst, like in the morning."

"You look beautiful in the morning."

Titan started to get up.

"This guy is more resistant than us both, together," Lois said, sighing.

With much difficulty, Clark sat up. "Nonsense. We can beat him."

Lois managed to get up first and then helped Clark. "Never said otherwise."

"Time to die, kryptonian," Titan spoke.

The three of them were reaching their limit energy wise. The hangar was in completely ruins, the lights were all out, only the night light illuminating the place.

"You stay here and try to recover while I deal with him, okay?" Lois said.

Clark nodded.

Lois leaped into the action and exchanged punches and kicks with Titan. Each times, their hits got more strong and violent. When Titan was about to strike back a blow Lois had thrown at him, Clark intervened with a punch in the Zoner's face.

He kept hitting Titan, not giving him a chance to hit him back. Clark gave a final blow, sending him in the air. Lois, who was flying above them, sent Titan back on the floor with another strike.

Lois joined Clark and they watched a weak Titan trying to stand up. They nodded at each other. "On three," Clark proposed.

They waited for Titan to look at them. "Three," Lois said. Together, they throw one last punch into the man's face, finally knocking him out.

They smiled and gave a fist bump as they accomplished the mission.

-º-

The following morning, Lois was getting ready to leave for work, when there was a knock on the door. She went to answer it. Clark was standing in the doorway with a small bouquet of lavenders and roses. "For you," he said, giving her the biggest grin.

She took it, unimpressed. "If you think I'll cut you any slack because of some pretty flowers, then you don't know me at all."

"Not at all. I'm just spoiling my gorgeous girlfriend."

Lois ignored his remark and went to grab a vase to put the flowers in. "Did you manage to send Titan back to the Phantom Zone?"

"Yes. I took him to the Fortress and Jor-El put him back there."

"You know, bruises aside, which I thank immensely my powers for disappearing with it, I sorta liked the adrenaline of that fight. I liked fighting alongside you."

Clark moved closer to her and nodded. "Me too."

Lois took a step back. "Which doesn't mean I have forgiven you yet."

He sighed. "I'm sorry, okay? I didn't know how to react, so I chose the easy way out, avoiding the subject, avoiding you."

"You know what hurt the most? One of the happiest times of my life and I wanted to celebrate it, and you weren't there to celebrate it with me."

"Sounds familiar, doesn't it?"

Lois raised an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to me?"

"Beginning of our relationship. I want to tell everyone about it and show how happy I am, but you didn't."

She crossed her arms. "One thing has nothing to do with another."

He stepped closer to her. "What I mean is that you had reasons to want to hide our relationship for awhile and I had reasons to feel upset. It's hardly about right or wrong. I've been dreaming about flying for so long and I was fine accepting it was not my time yet. But then I watched Raya and you starting to fly and it feels like I've been falling behind you. I feel like I'm failing something I was supposed to set the example at."

Lois's face softened. "It's in you, Clark. Whatever is holding you back, only you can discover what will set you free." She moved closer to him. "And if you let me, I can help you with that."

"Does that mean you forgave me?"

"If you didn't hold it against me when I wasn't the best girlfriend, then I think I can do the same for you," she gave him a smile.

Clark smiled back and started to lean in to kiss her, but Lois pulled away. "You'll only get this later," she said, tapping on his dumbfounded face lightly. "I'm late for work."

She grabbed her purse and headed to the door. "Tonight," she winked at him as she left.

Clark was left with the same dumbfounded face. He had no other option but to shake his head and chuckle at the way that woman messed with his head.

-º-

Lois arrived at the Daily Planet a couple hours later and headed straight to her supervisor's desk, dropping a paper right in front of him.

"What's this?" Jason Bailey, her supervisor, asked.

"An article."

"I thought I had told you wouldn't get to write an article for the first months."

"Give it a read and then you decide what to do with it."

He looked skeptical, but decided to give it a shot. After some minutes reading it, he looked at her. "There are some few typos and some information are unnecessary, but it's a good article. That's stuff of pro."

Lois smiled brightly. "Thanks."

"I think we can publish it on page fourteen, space three."

"Oh," she sounded disappointed.

"What, did you expect front page?" Jason asked, a certain mocking tone in his voice.

"No… No. It's just… It's a big thing. Meteor-infected people, illegal fight club, former military hangar."

"It is. But so are a lot of other articles published every day here. And it's below in importance compared to the human interest stories. You'll learn that someday."

She nodded.

"I'll give it to our editor. Seriously, Lane, good job. I think it's safe to say you have a future here."

Lois smiled widely as her supervisor left with her article in his hands. As she had expected, she had something to celebrate with Clark tonight.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

 _Several years ago..._

 _Lois was sitting on the grass of the backyard of the Sullivan's house with her knees together, her arms hugging them close to her chest. She'd been crying. It'd been over a month since her mother died and her father had just returned to the base, leaving her and her sister to the care of her aunt and uncle._

" _Your sister and cousin are asleep. You should go to bed too, sweetie," Moira, Chloe's mother and Lois's aunt, said. She was a tall, black-haired woman in her forties._

" _I am not sleepy," Lois said, wiping the tears from her face with the back of both her hands._

 _Moira watched her with a sad look. "Your father had to get back to work eventually, Lois." Lois kept moping. Moira then sat next to her on the grass. "Sam considered your mother his family's strength. He's trying to learn to live without her, to be strong for both of you."_

" _He doesn't care about me or Lucy," Lois said, bitterness in her voice._

" _Don't say that. Your daddy loves you two more than anything."_

" _I miss mom." Lois started to cry again._

 _Moira hugged her, tightly. "I know, sweetie. We all do," she said, teary-eyed. She kissed the top of Lois's head and rubbed her back. "Just try to remember, your mother will always be with you."_

-º-

Clark and Lois were sleeping on the bed of his bedroom, cuddling. Lois moaned as she rubbed her face on Clark's bare chest. Lois started to open her eyes slowly, reaching the nightstand with one of her hands. She grabbed her cell phone and brought it close to her face.

Lois squinted to see the clock. She gave an exasperated sigh. She pulled away from Clark and sat up on the edge of the bed.

When she was about to stand up, she felt a gentle grip on her arm. "Where are you going?" Clark's husky voice asked.

Lois turned her head to look at him, the loving smile on his face causing tingles in her body. Every. Damn. Time. "Work," she replied, a lack of enthusiasm in her tone.

"Oh."

"Yeah."

Clark sat up. "Do you at least have time to eat breakfast?"

"I have to go to my apartment and change clothes. I kinda hadn't planned to sleepover, you know."

He smiled. "I'll go with you, then. I had promised Chloe we'd take a coffee this morning, anyway. Just let me take a quick shower." Clark gave her a long single-lip kiss and then headed to bathroom, comfortable enough to take his pants off in front of her and to leave the door opened.

Lois bit her lip, resisting the urge to go there and join him. There's no way it'd be quick if she went there. She shook her head and took off the flannel shirt she had borrowed from him to sleep in and went to put on her own clothes.

-º-

"I'm just saying, instead of having to come back here to change your clothes, you could leave a few in my closet in case you spent the night there, which has happened a lot lately," Clark said to Lois. They were climbing the stairs to her apartment.

"That sounds awfully official."

"I'm not asking you to moving in with me. It's just… Um, we could use of more time post sleepover. Morning talk, breakfast…"

Lois turned around to look at him. "Fun in the shower?" She asked, raising her eyebrow and showing a playful smile on her face.

"Among other things." He then cornered her against the door.

"Mmm. I'll think about it," she told him, grinning. When Clark leaned in to kiss her, though, she cleared her throat. "Work," she gave him an apologetic look.

Clark stepped back and groaned playfully. Lois giggled and then finally entered the apartment, followed by Clark. As they walked in, they saw Chloe sitting on her feet, looking at muddy boot.

"Hey, cuz," Lois greeted.

"Chloe," Clark greeted with a nod of his head. "Ready for that coffee?"

"Wha… Coffee. Yeah, yeah. I'm sorry, I almost forgot. I, um… I slept in," Chloe said, dazed, her eyes lost in thought about the muddy boots and the footprints of it between the hall outside the apartment and the spot they were placed at.

Lois frowned. "What's up with the dirty boots?"

"Yeah, did you forget to wipe your feet after a run in the mud?" Clark asked.

Chloe stood up and started to approach the kitchen. "All I remember is I was doing my dishes here at the apartment and then I'm waking up in bed."

"Maybe you're sleepwalking," Clark said.

"Last night, possibly, but this isn't the first time this has happened. Two days ago, I was typing on my computer at the Daily Planet, and then, boom, I'm waking up at home the next morning." Chloe looked at them, confused. Lois and Clark exchanged worried looks. "Do you guys think maybe something's starting to happen to me, like in a krypto-freak kind of way?" Chloe asked, concerned.

"Hey, don't reporters usually deal in facts, not jumping to conclusions?" Clark said.

"Yeah, I know. It's just that ever since I found out that I'm a member of the meteor-infected masses, I've been seriously and secretly freaking out."

"I totally get you, Chlo. When I found out about my powers, all I wanted to do was to run away and just ignore everything that was happening to me," Lois told her.

"You don't have to go through this alone, all right? We're here for you." Clark put his hand on her shoulder and gave her a reassuring smile. "Come on, I'll give you a ride to work."

"Okay." Chloe then went to the bathroom to get dressed.

Both Clark and Lois's expression changed to worried. She looked at him. "What you think?" She asked, in a low tone.

"I don't know. But we'll find out."

-º-

Clark was driving Chloe and Lois to work with his truck. Lois was sitting on the passenger seat and Chloe on the back one. The confused atmosphere was still around them.

"Chloe, when you blacked out at the Planet, do you remember what you were working on?" Clark asked.

"Just a story about tree planting in Circle Park. I mean, nothing controversial," Chloe replied. As they drove by a field, Chloe leaned forward and frowned when she saw a Mercedes in the middle of the mud, surrounded by police. "Is that Lex's car out there?"

Lois followed Chloe's stare. "It is?"

"Let's go see what's going on," Chloe said.

Clark made a U-turn and pulled to a stop next to Lex's car. The three of them got out of the car. In front of them, there were a LuthorCorp security guard and a police officer talking. "Looks like the police got here before Lex's cleanup crew could mop up," Clark said.

The LuthorCorp guard then stepped away and turned around to make a phone call.

"Time to get our first lead of the day," Lois spoke. She and Clark then used their super hearing to hear the conversation.

"Jackson, what have you got?" Lex asked through the phone.

"I searched the car and surrounding areas. The flash drive is gone, Mr. Luthor. Whoever ran you off the road must have taken it," the man replied.

"What is it?" Chloe asked.

"Lex didn't crash by himself. He had a little help. And whoever it is stole his flash drive," Clark said.

"Do we know who Racer 'X' is?"

"No, but their vision's only 20/20." Clark then scanned the car with his x-ray vision. "What's that?" Clark said to himself, looking puzzled.

"What's what? Did you find Lex's flash drive?" As Chloe spoke, Clark superspeeded to the car and came back even before she could finish what she was saying. "Did you just...?" Chloe asked, impressed.

"He did," Lois grinned.

"I found something. It's a button," Clark said, raising his hand to show the object.

Chloe took it, showing the sleeve of her jacket with a missing one. "That's my button."

Lois was concerned for her cousin. "Chloe…"

"Either this is some bizarre coincidence, or you..." Clark started.

"I was here last night," Chloe finished the sentence.

-º-

"Do the math, guys. The muddy boots, the missing button. It's me. I'm the road warrior," Chloe said as he entered her apartment, striding. She started to look into the clothes she wore yesterday.

Clark and Lois followed her. "Chloe, before you throw the book at yourself, there's probably another explanation," Clark told her.

Lois closed the door. "Yeah, maybe, I don't know, you and Lana went somewhere with that car."

"No, we didn't." Chloe then took a flash drive out of the pocket of the jeans on the floor. "Besides, can you explain this?"

Clark and Lois gulped.

"Let's face it. I'm guilty as charged." Chloe then headed to the living room.

"Chloe, whatever you did, you clearly weren't yourself," Clark said, receiving a nod from Lois.

Chloe ignored them. She sat on the couch, as did Clark and Lois, and plugged in the flash drive into her laptop and brought up the list of files. "There's only one document on here, and it's a krypto-freak's case file."

"Is there a name?" Clark asked.

"No, it just lists an I.D. Number."

"With a serious ability. They're suspected of being able to control meteor freaks," Clark read.

"Typical, Lex. Control as much people as he can," Lois said.

"Look, whoever this is, I think they controlled me."

"Chloe, of all the people in the world, why would they choose you to run Lex off the road?" Clark said.

Lois looked at him and then at Chloe. "Maybe this person knows you and your meteor-infection."

"But I hadn't told anyone about this."

Clark kept reading the file. "Here says date of birth... September 20, 1960."

Chloe looked back at the screen and read it, too. "Born in Granville, Kansas." She then clicked on the link of the photo of the patient. "Oh my, god," she said, shocked.

Lois wore the same expression. "Is that…?"

Clark looked between them, puzzled.

Chloe nodded. "That's my mom."

-º-

The trio went to the mental institution Chloe's mother was receiving care to look for some answers. "Chloe, wasn't your mom catatonic the last time you saw her?" Clark asked.

"Look, I don't often play late-night bumper cars. She was obviously controlling me. The question is why."

"We don't know anything for sure yet."

"C'mon, Smallville. Lex Luthor, taking advantage, meteor-infected family, fighting back. It's pretty clear what's going on here. Now, let's show him he messed with the wrong family," Lois said as they approached the reception.

"Hi. Chloe Sullivan. I'm here to see my mother, Moira Sullivan,"Chloe told the receptionist as she started to sign for her visit.

"Did you not understand us the first time? You were asked never to come back here," the man said.

Chloe frowned.

"I'm sorry. There must be some sort of mistake. She hasn't been here for months," Clark intervened.

"Your friend created a huge scene yesterday. We don't want a repeat performance."

"Well, there's no matinee scheduled. I just want to see my mom," Chloe argued.

The man pressed a button, calling the security. "Security's on its way. I suggest you leave before they have to escort you out."

"My mother is here."

"What you're doing isn't legal," Lois said.

"You can't prevent her from seeing her own mom," Clark added.

Two security men started to walk their way.

Lois gritted her teeth and glared at the receptionist. "Listen here, buddy, her mother, my aunt, has been in this place for years. You better let us in…"

Clark looked up and saw the security camera, realizing something. He looked at his friend. "Chloe, come here."

"I'm gonna call the police and, oh boy, you're –" Clark held Lois's arm and pulled her and Chloe aside. "What… What are you doing?" She asked Clark, confused.

"Just wait for me outside. Trust me," he said to both of them.

Lois frowned. "What are you gonna do?"

His eyes directed hers to the sign next to the reception, the security office.

Lois nodded and she and Chloe left the building, leaving the task to Clark.

-º-

The three of them were at Chloe's desk at the Daily Planet watching a security tape from her visit to the institution the previous day.

"I already told him. I'm here to pick up my mother," Chloe said on the video.

"Apparently, per her doctor's orders, Moira Sullivan's been transferred," a woman, another doctor of the institution, told her.

"Without notifying me?"

"You'll have to ask her psychiatrist."

"Fine. Where is he?"

"I'm afraid he's out of town at a conference."

"You're lying," Chloe tried to push her way through the doctor, but the woman grabbed her arm.

"You can't go in there."

Chloe then turned around and punched the woman in the face, sending her to the ground.

"Security!" The receptionist called.

Chloe looked perplexed. "I can't believe I did that."

"Your mom must have sent you to the sanitarium for help. She didn't know she had already been transferred," Clark said.

"Probably to a new 33.1 facility," Lois added.

"So, she had me steal Lex's flash drive so I could find out where she really was. Well, either way, she's sending out an S.O.S."

"We got it loud and clear. Let's go talk to Lex," Clark said.

The trio started to leave, but a voice stopped Lois. "Lane!" She turned around to face her supervisor looking pissed off at her. "Where the hell have you been? You were supposed to be here in the morning."

"I'm sorry, Jason, something came up…"

"You're here, so obviously it isn't something that's stopping from working." Jason approached her and handed her a series of papers. "Make those phone calls and I won't report it."

"I can't, I…"

Lois felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned around to see Clark standing behind her. "Lois, you should stay. It's your job."

"That's my cousin," she said, pointing to Chloe. "What's your point?"

Clark gave an exasperated sigh. "We're just gonna confront Lex, okay? We'll call you if we find out anything. There's no need to risk your job."

Lois pondered it and after a few seconds, she nodded, sighing.

Clark gave her a reassuring smile and then left with Chloe.

-º-

Clark and Chloe arrived at the Luthor mansion just in time to see a meteor-infected man attacking Lana, leaving her unconscious. Clark took Lana to the hospital, while Chloe held the man at gunpoint. She find out he was another prisoner of the place her mother was being held at, who escaped the facility the previous night and then was sent by Moira to kill Lex.

At the Smallville Medical Center, Clark watched worried as the doctor talked to her. He entered the room after the doctor left it. "Lana? I heard what happened. Are you okay?"

"I guess that depends on your definition," she said, trying to control her emotions.

Clark realized something was off. "Is the baby all right?"

She looked at him uneasy, fighting back the tears. "I lost it a few days after the wedding. You're the first person I've told."

"I'm so sorry."

"I feel like I've lost so much..." She looked at him, despair in her eyes. The meaning behind her words made Clark feel guilty. "I thought having this baby would change things, but... Now that it's gone... This isn't the life that I wanted," she said, a hint of anger in her voice.

Clark breathed hard. "You still have a long life ahead of you. You don't have to give up."

"That's what you did?" She asked, although it was more of an affirmation.

He took a deep breath. As he saw the hurt in her eyes, he realized a change of subject was in order. "Lana... Despite everything that happened between us, I want you to know you can count on me as your friend. I can help you. Whatever you need..."

"Clark, I need you to stop worrying about me. It's okay, really. I'm going to get through this like I always do," Lana told him, firmly.

Clark nodded, shyly. He wished he could do more for her, but it was up to her to decide what she'd do with her life.

-º-

"Clark? Chloe?" Lois called as she entered the Kent house. "Sorry I took so long, my supervisor just wouldn't leave me a -" Lois stopped as she saw Clark lying on the floor, unconscious. "Clark!" Lois shouted, concern all over her face.

She tried to approach him, but the kryptonite on the pocket of his jacket stopped her from getting closer. She looked around for something to use to help her throw away the rock, until she saw the lead box where it was being hidden. She took it and slowly stepped closer to Clark.

She fell on her knees, the pain from the kryptonite getting stronger. Even holding the box was becoming more difficulty. But as soon as her hand with the lead box got closer to the rock, the kryptonite effects were getting weaker. Regaining strength enough to act quicker, she then put the meteor rock back inside the lead box and closed it.

Lois placed the box on the floor, and held her boyfriend's head. "Clark? Clark?"

Clark opened his eyes slowly. "Lois," he said, feeling dizzy and exhausted.

"What happened?"

"Chloe… She found out the place where her mother was being held at, and we… We were supposed to go there. But then her mother started to control her and told Chloe to leave town."

"Why?"

Feeling better, Clark sat up and rubbed his face. "Moira tried to kill Lex, but her plan backfired when Lana got hurt instead. Lex probably wanted to get back at her through Chloe."

Lois looked worried. "Do you think Chloe managed to leave in time?"

"I don't know. But we need to save her mom and I know where she is. If they took Chloe, they probably took her there, too, especially knowing about her meteor-infection."

-º-

Chloe was taken by Lex's men to the same room her mother was. After a heartfelt and longing reunion, they started to form a plan to escape from the facility.

"Help! I need help in here, please! Help!" Chloe called the guards that were passing by with another prisoner, tapping the bulletproof glass with her closed fists. One of them went to open the door of the room with his car. "My mom... She's sick. She needs a doctor."

"What's wrong?" The man asked.

"I don't know, but you have to help her."

As the guard went to check on Moira, Chloe ran out of the room.

"Hey! Hey!" The guard went after her. "What the hell?" Both Clark tried to stop Chloe, but she managed to grab the prisoner's skull cap. Her mother's ability only allows her to control meteor-infected people through some personal belonging.

"Mom! Mom!" Chloe then threw it to Moira.

Moira held the cap and start to use her power to control the meteor-infected man. "Protect me and my daughter. Set us free," the man heard Moira's voice in his head.

The prisoner then grabbed both guards and threw them down the hall. The two of them, with the prisoner as their bodyguard, run to find an escape, but were met by two more guards coming in their way.

One of the guards shot the prisoner with a tranquilizer dart, knocking him out. Chloe and Moira turned around and ran the way back. One of the guards managed to grab Moira.

"Chloe!"

Chloe turned around. "Mom!"

"Go! Get out of here!"

"Take her back –" Suddenly, the guard holding Moira was thrown against the wall, falling unconscious. Then, the same thing happened to the one holding Chloe.

Lois appeared behind Chloe. "Hey, guys," she gave them a smile.

Moira frowned.

Chloe turned around and hugged her cousin. "Lois! I'm so glad to see you."

"Lois?" Realization dawned on Moira. "Oh my, God."

Lois nodded, happily. "It's me, aunt Moira."

Moira smiled and moved closer, hugging her. "You grew up so much. You look so beautiful."

Lois looked at her with a warm smile. The moment, though, was interrupted by voices coming their way. "Chloe, take aunt Moira and go. Clark is waiting for you two."

Chloe nodded.

"Wait, aren't you coming with us?" Moira asked, puzzled.

"Don't worry, I'll be with you guys in a matter of seconds," Lois winked at her aunt.

Moira nodded, uncertain.

"Come, mom," Chloe grabbed her mother's arm and led her away. As they ran toward the entrance, they ran into Lex.

"Lex, get out of our way," Chloe stared angrily at Lex.

"I'm sorry. I can't do that." Lex started to reach for his phone, but was suddenly thrown against the wall by Clark.

Clark then whooshed out of the facility with Moira and Chloe.

Lex looked up and saw the hall empty.

-º-

The next morning, they all were in Oliver's penthouse. Chloe had left to buy some food for them. Moira was sitting on the couch, looking fascinated at the bright day.

Lois sat next to her. "It's a beautiful view, isn't it?"

Moira nodded and looked at Lois, raising her hand to her face. "You're so strong now. No sign of that little girl feeling abandoned."

"She's definitely the toughest person I know," Clark spoke, approaching them.

Lois smiled at him.

Moira saw the dreamy look on her face. "And with a very handsome boyfriend."

"Oh, believe me, it isn't even in his top three qualities."

Clark blushed.

Moira cleared her throat. "The powers you two have… Are you meteor-infected, too?"

"It's a little more complicated than that, and our time would be better spent talking about other things," Lois said.

"I just want to thank you, both of you, for protecting and taking care of Chloe when I couldn't."

"She takes care of us, too," Clark told her. "We all take care of each other, like a family."

"Plus, there's Jimmy, her boyfriend," Lois said.

"What's he like?"

"He's a little goofy, don't know how to dress –"

"Lois!" Clark hissed.

"You don't how to dress either, Smallville," she gave him a wink, letting him know she was teasing him. Clark sighed. "Jimmy's also not the prince type you'd picture Chloe with. But he's also a good person, the biggest heart I know next to the big guy here, and – I'm capable of killing if this leaves this room – he's sort of cute."

"He makes Chloe happy," Clark added, with a smile on his face.

Moira's smile grew wider. "How's she being a reporter?"

"Smart, curious, determined," Clark replied.

"She didn't reach the star status she deserves yet, but I can tell you she let her mark as a reporter at the high school's paper," Lois added.

"How so?"

"She created the Wall of Weird for the Smallville Torch back at the Smallville High School, your ultimate guide to everything strange, bizarre, and unexplained that happened in Smallville since the meteor shower," Lois told her, impersonating Chloe's mannerisms in the last part. "That was her baby."

"I'm happy to…" Suddenly, Moira's eyes squinted, she was feeling dizzy.

Lois put a hand on her back, the expression of worry on her face. "Aunt Moira, what's happening?"

"My head… It's hurting. The effect of the drug that man gave me is wearing off. He told me it only lasts twenty four hours."

"We have to grab more, then." Lois got up to leave, but Moira grabbed her hand.

"No…"

Lois frowned. "What?"

"I can't take it anymore."

"Why?"

Before Moira could answer it, Chloe entered the penthouse with a bag of food. "Hey! I brought sandwiches. And I realized I don't know which ones you like, mom, so I just bought one of each," Chloe chatted happily, placing the bag on the desk.

"Chloe, I don't think your mom's hungry," Clark said as he approached her, his tone cautious.

Chloe turned around to look at him. "Hey, Clark, have you talked to Oliver? He said that he would set up a safe place for her to stay in Star City."

"Chloe, we have a problem," he told her.

Chloe looked over at a worried Lois standing up next to her mother, who was staring out the window. She walked slowly over her mother, while Lois went to stand next to Clark, his hand rubbing her left shoulder. Both of them had a sad look on their faces.

Chloe moved closer to Moira. "Mom? Mom?"

Moira took some time to focus on Chloe. She took Chloe's hand in hers. "I'm sorry, sweetheart... I'm slipping back."

Chloe frowned.

"The drug that Lex used on your mom... It only lasts twenty four hours, or else she won't stay lucid. Chloe, she doesn't have much time left," Clark said.

"Well, I'll go talk to Lex. I'll make a deal with him."

"No. No deals with that man. I can't allow it," Moira said.

"Mom, I already lost you once. I'm not gonna do it again. If this drug is out there, I can get it, trust me. I have some pretty amazing resources at my disposal." She looked at Clark and Lois for reassurance, but they looked downcast.

"Being with you, again... It's the greatest gift I could have ever been given. But I'm dangerous, Chloe," Moira said, teary-eyed.

"No, mom. That's not true."

"My ability to control people with powers, it's like I'm a human weapon. And I-I can't... I can't allow it."

Chloe sat on her knees and moved closer to her. "But, mom, it doesn't have to be like this."

Moira gave a small smile and placed her hand on Chloe's face, caressing it lightly. "My little cub reporter. This... This belongs... To you." Chloe joined her open hands side by side to receive a necklace Moira used to control Chloe until now.

"No, mom. Please. Please don't go, mom... Not yet, not again," Chloe begged, starting to cry.

Lois buried her face on Clark's chest as they hugged tightly and he rubbed her back.

Moira closed her eyes, feeling her lucidity fading away. "I... Love you... Chlo... Chloe." She opened her eyes again, a blank stare in it.

"I love you, too, mom," Chloe said, resting her head on her mother's leg and letting all the tears fall from her eyes.

-º-

Later that day, Chloe entered the farmhouse through the kitchen door. "Hey," she greeted Clark.

He approached her. "Hey."

She looked around. "Where's Lois?"

"She left. She said she had a work to do. By the way, she was feeling really frustrated she didn't find any file or proof about the 33.1 in that facility yesterday to help you with your article." He then realized the disappointment on her face. "You okay? How you doing?"

"Um... It's just so unfair," she sighed. "I mean, she's never gonna be able to read any of the articles I've written, you know, or meet Jimmy. She's never gonna get to know the person that I've become," Chloe said, fighting back the tears.

"It's a good thing Lois and I told her.

Chloe looked surprised. "You did?"

Clark smiled. "While you were buying some food, Lois and I gave her the complete Chloe Sullivan bio." It made Chloe chuckled, shyly. "She was so proud. That's something no one can ever take away."

Chloe nodded, uncertain. "Lex came to talk to me, Clark. Basically, he said it's either kill or be killed. The story or me."

"He threatened you?"

"I'm in his cross hairs."

Clark angered. "Yeah, well, now he's in mine."

"Think about Lana. We can't do anything to him until we know she's safe," Chloe argued.

"You're right. He'd feed her to the lions just to spite us. But it's inevitable. The war's about to begin."

-º-

Lex was sitting on his desk in the main room of Luthor mansion. Lana had to stay in the hospital for observation. Suddenly, the lights of the place went out, leaving only the fireplace to illuminate the place. Lex tried to call the security, but no one was answering.

"It must feel good to sit there and pretend you did nothing wrong," a woman voice spoke.

Lex grabbed a gun under the table and jerked up, pointing it at her. "Who the hell are you?"

"I'd like to say Angel of Vengeance, but I believe this name have trademark already." The woman stepped forward, revealing a black leather costume. Part of her face was covered by the shadow, but Lex could see that she wearing an eye mask.

"Stop or I'll shoot you!" Lex shouted.

The woman stepped closer, revealing the Stiletto costume. "Shoot," Lois smiled cockily. She borrowed a voice changer from Oliver so Lex wouldn't recognize her voice.

Lex fired the gun. Three times. Lois, however, caught all the bullets.

She opened her hand and showed it to him. She then smashed it in her hand. Lex stared at her shocked. "You're rich. You might as well use all your bullets and buy new ones."

The bald man shot again, this time Lois diverted from the bullets. She laughed, enjoying the frightened look on his face. She then used her superspeed and showed up in front of him, grabbing him by the neck and pressing him against the wall. "How does it feel not to have the control of the situation now, Luthor?"

Lex was having difficulty to breath.

"Now listen up, your time is up. If I hear one more case about the 33.1, you can expect another visit from me, and next time it'll be a lot more hard to breath. Maybe not breathing at all."

Lois released Lex. He coughed, trying to regain his breath. He looked at her. "You're with them, aren't you? You're the woman I heard was with Green Arrow and his Merry Men."

"I am. And until now I preferred to stay in the shadows, but I think it's time to claim my rightful place in your nightmares. It's not a goodbye, Luthor, because I'm sure I'm going to see you again."

Lex gulped.

Lois gave one last devilish smile and without ceremony threw a blow right into Lex's face, using only the necessary strength to knock him out. She then used her heat vision to leave a message on the wall.

Lois started to walk away, leaving behind the unconscious Lex and the message for when he wakes up.

"I AM WATCHING YOU"


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

Clark arrived at the Smallville Medical Center with his truck, stopping next to a worried Martha. Lionel was being brought by an ambulance. "Mom, what happened?"

"They just called and said there was some kind of explosion," she said. She and Clark then approached the stretcher that Lionel was being carried on. "Lionel, it's Martha and Clark. We're here."

"Lex," Lionel said in an almost inaudible voice due to the oxygen mask. His body and face were covered in bruises and blood.

"I left Lex a message and said it was an emergency," Martha told him.

Lionel took the oxygen mask off to speak. "He's still down there." He had followed Lex to find out about one of his new underground projects, but they were met by a woman there, who blew up the place, trapping Lex there and leaving Lionel in his current state.

"Folks, he has to get into the E.R," one of the EMTs that were leading Lionel's stretcher into the hospital warned.

"Clark. Clark," Lionel called.

Clark ran to his side. "Yeah?"

"You have to help him. Lex is being held hostage." The older man put the oxygen mask back on as the need for air became too much. They entered the hospital.

"Do the police know what happened to him?" Clark asked.

"Yes, but there's no time," Lionel told him, holding Clark's arm tightly.

"We need to move," the EMT said.

"One second." They stopped moving. "Where is Lex?"

"They'll never find him, even if they get through the debris. It's a maze of tunnels. You've got to find him, Clark. He's put something terrible into motion down there. Lex is the only one who can stop it."

"Let's go. Let's go," The ETMs started to move the stretcher again. Martha went with them.

Clark was breathing heavily. What was Lex up to now?

-º-

Clark met Chloe on the explosion site. "Chloe, any news on Lex?"

"No, and the police captain just nixed the rescue efforts until they can debomb the area."

"That could take forever. Lionel said these tunnels are endless."

"Which means Lex and our G.I. Jane will be long gone before they get through all that debris."

Clark grew worried. "So Lionel was right. Lex could die if I don't go down there."

"Well, don't look to me for encouragement. After what he did to my mom, I don't mind the idea of him cohabitating with the rats for all of eternity."

"Trust me, Chloe. Lately I've had moments where I thought the world would be a better place without him, but..."

"You don't get to choose who you're gonna save. Not if you're Clark Kent," Chloe said, defeated.

"Besides, whatever's in those tunnels may be the first step in taking Lex down."

"Then I suggest you beat the bomb squad to the entrance and human-wrecking-ball your way in before anyone can see you," Chloe pointed with her head to the team working at the entrance of the tunnel.

-º-

Lex was being held by Jodi Keenan, a former Green Beret, who was looking for the whereabouts of her husband Wes Keenan, a Green Beret who was declared dead after a helicopter crash. Jodi, however, believed her husband was taken by LuthorCorp for some of their experiments. Held at gunpoint, Lex ended up telling her that his company tried to experiment on Wes and save his life after he was shot by a M60 firearm, but they had failed and Wes was indeed dead.

As Jodi became unnerved with the information, Lex took the opportunity to try to take the gun out of her hand, but their fight for it made the gun go off. The bullet hit Jodi's stomach. Lex then pointed the gun at her, proposing her to deactivate the bombs she had installed around the tunnels. She refused it and instead set off a smaller explosive in her hand.

Clark had arrived just in time, but as he started to run toward them, rocks and meteor rocks flew in his direction due to the explosion, sending him flying against the wall down the corridor.

After being unconscious for a few minutes, a dizzy Clark managed to get up and walk toward Lex with much difficulty due to the kryptonite surrounding the place. He spotted Lex under some debris. "Lex. Lex," Clark called.

Clark freed Lex off the debris over him as the bald man got up. "Clark... What are you doing here?" Lex asked, still painting and coughing. He still had a black eye on his face, courtesy of his encounter with Stilleto.

"Your dad sent me," Clark averted his eyes, knowing the questions coming his way.

"He's alive?" Clark nodded. "And you got through when nobody else could."

"No one else is trying, Lex. Police called off the rescue team when they found this place was rigged with explosives."

Lex went to check on the timer of one of the bombs installed there. "The entire tunnel system's scheduled to detonate in 14 minutes."

"Is there a way to deactivate it?"

"If you're trained in plastic explosives, be my guest. Come on," as Lex started to walk away, he saw Clark's left hand bleeding. "Clark."

Clark made a sound of pain as he realized there was a huge chunk of shrapnel sticking out of his left arm.

Lex walked back toward Clark to take the object out of his arm. "You're the last person I ever expected to be pulling shrapnel out of." Lex pulls the piece out of Clark's shoulder.

"Ugh!" Clark groaned as Lex pulled the piece out of his arm.

"I don't know why I still believed that you're more than human."

"Nothing's ever good enough for you, Lex," Clark said bitterly as he took his jacket off.

Lex angered. "The truth would have been. You may be flesh and blood, but you've been hiding secrets from me since we met. You never trusted me." He found a bandage and tied it around Clark's arm.

"Ugh!" Clark groaned again as Lex wrapped it tightly. He then glared at the other man. "Would it have mattered? What are you really doing down here, anyway, Lex? Trying to find new ways to exploit the people that have different abilities than you?" He then started to walk away.

"There's no gray area with you, is there? It's either all good or all evil. Did you even try to see my humanity before you decided I had none?"

Clark stopped and turned around. "I did, Lex. And look where we are."

Lex and Clark walked to the next corridor, looking for an exit. Lex found a hole in the wall behind some debris, passing through this. Clark, completely weakened by the kryptonite surrounding it, followed Lex, needing his former friend's help to pass through it, too. They kept walking looking for the exit.

-º-

"Chloe?" Lois answered her cell phone.

"Lois, finally! I have been trying to call you for the last five minutes," Chloe spoke in a louder voice than the necessary.

"Sorry, Chlo, I've been swamped with work all day."

"Did you know what happened to Lex?"

"I heard. I suppose Clark is over there rescuing Princess Lexie?"

"He is."

Lois sighed. "It isn't possible to love that man without him being who he is, is it?"

"Uh-huh," Chloe replied. "Um… Lois, uh, I need your help."

"Na-ah, forget about it, cuz. I won't move a finger to help Lex. Kent's puppy dog eyes may have convinced you, but there's no way it'll convince me. In fact, I'm becoming quite im –"

"It's not Lex we have to worry about."

"What?"

"Clark's in danger."

In a matter of second, Lois was at Chloe's side at explosion site. "Where's he?"

Chloe jerked around, a little taken by surprise. "God, you're becoming too much like him."

Lois's patience was growing thin. "Where is he, Chloe?"

"He's in there, probably with Lex."

Lois motioned to walk in the tunnel, but Chloe positioned herself in front of her. "Don't. There's kryptonite in there," Chloe told her.

Lois breathed hard, worried. "I have to do something."

Chloe nodded. "Can you see them with your x-ray vision?"

Lois looked down and activated her x-ray vision. She then shook her head. "Lead lined."

"Of course…"

"Let me try something else." Lois tilted her head slightly and started using her super hearing. She furrowed her brows. "I hear Clark's panting breath. Chloe, he's severely weak down there."

"One more reason for you not to go into those tunnels."

"I also heard a timer in there. We don't have much time left."

"Good thing you're fast. There's a person that might help us."

-º-

Clark and Lex reached a dead end as they encountered a locked cell. Clark tried to break the locker, but due to the kryptonite around, he hadn't enough strength to do it. "Lex, these ceilings aren't gonna hold out much longer," Clark said.

Lex, who was about to turn the corner, turned around and looked at him. "We have to go back."

Clark leaned again the wall and sat on the ground, crying in pain. "You know we don't have time for that. Something tells me no one else knows about these tunnels."

"By no one, you mean Lana. I'm sorry, but I don't bore her with the daily minutiae of my work."

"You mean you don't trust her?"

"I know that's what you've always wanted to believe. But Lana's the first person in my life I actually do trust."

"Are you sure about that? Have you actually told her about what you did to her best friend's mother? Or what you did to Chloe herself?"

Lex gulped. "Why do you even care? I thought you were happy with your new girlfriend, or isn't she enough to hold your attention and you have to worry about your ex girlfriend and her husband?"

"Believe it or not, I still care for Lana as a friend. I saw her last week, I saw the unhappiness in her eyes."

"Am I supposed to feel satisfied by that? Do you really think I like to feel like I'm not enough to make the love of my life happy? Not being sure of what to do for her is the hardest thing I've ever had to endure. You can believe that or not. I stopped expecting you to act like a friend a long time ago." Lex passed through Clark and stood toward the cell door.

"Were we ever really friends, Lex?"

"I don't know. I have nothing to compare it to. You're the only real friend I've ever had, Clark. And somewhere along the way, you saw me as your nemesis, turned your back on me."

Suddenly, the ceiling above Clark collapsed, sending a huge pile of debris raining down on him. Clark managed to protect himself, but his body got trapped under a huge metal beam. He looked at Lex as he tried to lift it off him. "Lex, get this off of me. Ugh!"

Lex looked around, realizing the impact had destroyed the cell door blocking the way. Lex looked at his watch, pensive.

"Don't leave me," Clark begged.

Without a word, Lex turned around and ran down the tunnel and turned the corner.

"Lex! Lex! Lex!" Clark kept calling as the destruction surrounded the place.

-º-

Lana was at the study of the Luthor mansion working looking into Lex's briefcase that that was left behind in the explosion. She was looking for her husband's hidden projects, evidences that could be used against him. Back at the day she was attacked and taken to the hospital, Lana found out she was never pregnant. Lex had hired Dr. Langston to put synthetic hormones in her bloodstream, faking all the symptoms of a pregnancy. She was filled with anger and resentment.

"Lana?" Chloe called as she entered the study room of the Luthor mansion, followed by Lois.

Lana closed the laptop where she was looking through some files. "Chloe." She then stared with eyes wide-open at the other guest. "Lois?"

"Hey," Lois greeted, shyly.

Chloe cleared her throat, feeling the awkwardness around the room. "Why aren't you with search and rescue team?"

"I thought I'd be more useful here," Lana said, completely serene. "Any news?"

"No, that's the problem. Because I'm not a Luthor, no one will talk to me. What have they told you?"

"That they'll tell me when they know something."

Lois intervened. "Lana, do you have anything here on those tunnels that might help us?"

Lana raised an eyebrow at her. "Why are you so interested in this? As far as I know, you can't stand Lex."

"Clark's down there."

Shock took over Lana's expression. She rose up from the chair and rounded the desk to stand next to Lois.

"He went there to help Lex," Lois said.

"Now even the bomb squad can't find a way in," Chloe added.

"Lana, if you have anything that might help us. Please," Lois begged, her eyes conveying all the desperateness she was feeling.

Lana's heart was beating fast, concerning growing over time. "I think I know another way in."

Lois breathed a sigh of relief, while Chloe frowned. Lana went to sit back on the chair and logged back into the laptop, typing Lex's password at the prompt.

"Exactly when did you learn how to pole-vault over Lex's firewall?" Chloe asked.

"I figured that if Lex was gonna look over my shoulder, it was time for me to start looking over his."

Lois and Chloe exchanged looks. Into the laptop, Lana opened a file revealing a schematic of the tunnels. "Are those the blueprints for the tunnels?" Chloe asked. She and Lois looked surprised as Lana's face was still. "You were sitting on the holy grail all morning, and you didn't tell anyone?"

"I thought you said there wasn't much time," Lana said, coldly.

Lois cleared her throat. "We don't." She took Chloe's arm. "Let's go, Chlo."

"Wait. We can go with my car," Lana said.

"Uh, there's no need…"

"Yeah…"

"Let's go. It's ready to leave." Lana started walking toward the exit.

Chloe gave Lois an apologetic look and signaled for them to follow Lana. Lois sighed, she just hoped they could get in there in time.

-º-

Lex returned to help Clark with a huge pipe, freeing him of the metal beam. With Clark leaning on Lex for support, they walked through the tunnel until they found a hatch above them. They started to climb the long ladder frantically. Lex lost his footing on the way, but with Clark's help, he managed to climb it back.

With much difficulty, and only with them lifting it up together, they finally took the grate out of the way and opened the exit. As the timer zeroed, a massive explosion started to surrender the tunnels, coming their way.

Clark and Lex climbed out just in time as the explosion went up, spilling out into the air. Clark rolled onto his back and looked up, taking in the sunlight, recovering his breath and body.

Lana's car, alongside the police's car, had just arrived at the site. The three girls got out of the car. They spotted Clark getting up.

Clark smiled as he looked in their direction. Lois started running in his direction. Lana motioned to run to him, too, but stopped as she realized it wasn't her place to do it anymore.

Lois reached Clark and wrapped her arms around his waist in tight hug, smiling in relief. Clark hugged her back and closed his eyes, relieved. There was a moment in those tunnels he really thought he wouldn't see her again.

Lana spotted Lex and reluctantly walked to him and hugged him, averting her eyes from Clark and Lois embracing. She tried to hide her disgust and anger toward the man who was now her husband, but all she could think of was how his lies and schemes stopped what she could have. The couple hugging behind her only increased the regret feeling.

-º-

"You two didn't come in for dinner. Thought you might be hungry," Martha said as she brought food and juice for Clark and Lois. They were in the loft of the barn looking over a table of papers, charts, and graphics.

"Oh, thanks, Mrs. K," Lois said. She took a bite of her sandwich and sliced off a small piece and fed Clark.

"Any idea what Lex and Lionel were doing in those tunnels?" Martha asked.

"It just doesn't add up. I mean, we have budgets, funding, plans, construction. It's almost as if Lex was..." Clark said.

Martha nodded. "Building a water-purification system."

"Maybe this is the one time Lex was actually telling the truth," he said as he walked to the other side of the loft.

Lois, who was devouring the sandwich, frowned.

"Clark... What really happened down there?" His mother asked.

"When Lex pulled me out of that rubble, I saw a glimpse of something I hadn't seen in years. My friend," Clark said, puzzled by his own words.

"I know you two went through a lot. But so much has happened. Sometimes, as hard as it is, you have to let go," Martha told him.

Clark turned around to look at her and moved closer. "But you didn't. After everything that Lionel's done, you stood by him today."

"That doesn't mean I trust him. I wish I could. And even though I honestly believe he's made an effort, no one can completely change who they are."

"At least you gave him that chance. Mom, what if part of who Lex is... Is because of me? What if I gave up on him too soon?"

"That's bullshit," Lois spoke, anger in her voice.

Both Clark and Martha stared shocked at her. "Lois!" Martha hissed.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. K, but that's the truth." She stepped closer and looked at Clark. "You spend half of your life saving that man from his own doings and you wonder if you're the one responsible for it? Newsflash, Smallville, Lex makes his own decisions!"

Clark breathed hard. "Lois…"

"I didn't get to know you two as friends, I can't even picture you two as friends, but I know what a real friend is. Respectful to one's privacy, understanding, selfless. Lex is none of those. Lex is manipulating, power-aholic, a-hole. He subjected your best friend, your best friend's mother, my family, to his experiments. Lana, his own wife of all people, showed signs of wanting him dead. And you know what? He's not telling you the truth about what's happening in those tunnels. I don't know what it is, but he is planning something down there."

"So here's the thing, you can try to forget and pretend Lex is a poor thing walking down the evil's road because of others, but he isn't. He's smart enough to put the world at his feet and he knows it. I love you, I love how compassionate you are, but don't expect me to support you on this. You wanna befriend with the devil? You're on your own."

Clark looked taken aback by her speech.

Lois sighed and looked at Martha. "I have to go. Thanks for the lovely lunch." She then started to walk away without sparing him even a glance.

Martha nodded, bewildered.

Clark went after her and grabbed her arm. "Lois, wait."

Lois turned around to face him. "Let me go, Clark. I'm not in the mood of hearing you defending Lex."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean… I just wish things could be different, that I could perhaps have changed some of this situation we are now," Clark said.

"You can't. And I'm afraid someday, while you try to save Lex of one of the holes he dug, he'll trap you in there and bury your body mercilessly," she confessed, teary-eyed.

Clark hugged her. "I'm sorry."

Martha approached them. "Lois is right, Clark. I know you'll never give up on anyone, because your greatest strength might also be your greatest weakness ... Your hope."

Clark looked pensive. Was Lex beyond salvation?

-º-

Beyond the underground tunnel, Lex and the leader of his Project Ares were at a hidden room looking at their latest and most powerful prototype yet, none other than Wes Keenan. "Thanks to your wife, I almost died for you. Let's hope there's nothing you can't do for me," Lex said, triumphantly.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

Lois was flying in the sky of Metropolis, eyes closed and enjoying the quietness of it. The last few weeks had been very stressing and coming up here had helped her to relax. She loves flying.

She opened her eyes to watch the lights illuminating the city. The usual sounds perpetuated Metropolis, but one in particular took Lois's attention. She started to descent to hear it closer.

Once back on the ground, Lois saw the source of the cry for help. A woman had just been robbed by a guy wearing a mask, who was running toward his motorcycle. Lois quickly act and threw the man against a wall and returned the purse to the woman in a blur form.

Lois watched as the woman hugged her purse, happy, while the the robber was lying unconscious on the ground. She started dialing anonymously to the police, the larger-than-life and proud of herself smile not leaving her lips.

-º-

"It a Trojan Horse!" Clark said.

"Yes!" Lois threw her arms up and high-fived her boyfriend. "That's one more point to team Lane."

The couple were playing Pictionary against Chloe and Jimmy at the apartment above the Talon. Lois and Clark had two points over the other team.

It was Jimmy's last night in town for awhile. He got a promotion at the Daily Planet, receiving an assignment to cover the Polar Bear Swim Club in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

"How? There's no way this looks like a horse. It looks like a dog to me," Chloe protested.

"It has mane," Lois retorted, pointing to the drawing on the board.

Jimmy and Clark exchanged looks, staying out of the competitive cousins's battle. "Okay, I think it's our turn," Jimmy intervened. He handed Clark the timer.

"Ready?" Clark asked. Jimmy and Chloe, who positioned herself next to the board, nodded. "Go!"

"It's a wheel! No, it's a car! A bus!" Jimmy tried to guess as Chloe was drawing.

"No!" Chloe said, a little loud.

"A truck?"

Chloe's face told him he was close to the right guess, but he couldn't figure out what exactly it was.

"Fifteen seconds," Clark warned about the time.

Jimmy looked at Chloe, worried. He then looked at Lois, who had a smug smile on her face. Realization dawned on him. "Monster truck! It's monster truck!"

"Yes!" Chloe celebrated hugging Jimmy.

Lois pouted. "Crap," she uttered as Clark rubbed her back.

"Your turn, CK."

Clark nodded in reassurance to Lois as he got up, positioning beside the board.

"One minute. Go!"

Clark started to draw.

"Uh... Err... Is it a flower?" Lois asked.

"No."

"An ET?"

Clark raised an eyebrow at her and then shook his head.

"Lizard? A dragon? Some sort of dinosaur?"

Clark frowned. "No!" He then added two diagonal lines behind the drawing.

Lois looked puzzled.

"Ten seconds," Chloe spoke, excited.

Clark drew a insect leg stretched out.

"Uh... I know, I know! It's a grasshopper!"

"No. Almo..."

The timer went off. Chloe and Jimmy celebrated.

"It was a mantis," Clark told her, disappointed.

"What? How the hell I'm supposed to know that?"

"I drew it praying."

"Was that praying? I thought it was eating something."

Clark sighed.

The couples kept playing. The last round finally came in. "Alright, Smallville, you guess this one and we win this game."

He nodded.

An annoyed Chloe held the timer. "Ready? Go!"

Clark watched as Lois started to draw. "A book... No. An alien? What's your thing with ETs?"

Lois stared at him, annoyed. "Do I really need to say?"

Clark was taken aback, giving her an uncomfortable smile.

"Thirty seconds," Jimmy said.

Lois focused back on the board. Clark kept looking closely. "Uh... A sneak. Water? Loch Ness Monster?"

"No."

"Fourteen seconds."

Lois started drawing faster. "Uh... Err... A woman? What?" Clark frowned at those drawing around the board.

"Eight, seven..." Jimmy and Chloe started the countdown together.

Lois desperately drew arrows connecting the drawings.

"Four, three..."

Clark started to using his super reading., sort of stopping time around him. He started to try to put the drawings together. Book, alien, Loch Ness Monster, woman. Woman, short hair. Clark opened his eyes widely.

"One..."

"It's Tales of the Weird & Unexplained! One of Chloe's favorite book!" Clark said, triumphantly.

The timer then went off. Chloe and Jimmy became quiet, a disappointed look on their face.

"We won! We won!" Lois run to Clark and hugged him.

Clark smiled. "We did."

"You cheated a little, didn't you?" She whispered in his ear.

"Well, sort of. I guess."

Lois gave him a long kiss on the cheek. "I love you." She then looked at the other couple. "Sorry, kids. No one can beat team Lane," she said, smiling cockily.

Chloe looked at Jimmy. "I hate when she does that."

The couples kept enjoying the time together until Jimmy and Chloe left to enjoy a last time alone in his apartment before he went to his assignment.

-º-

Clark placed a kiss on Lois's lips and neck as he rocked his body into hers. He was laying on top of her, the sheet of the bed covering from the middle of his back to his feet. Lois dug her fingernails on his back as the intensity of their bodies colliding increased. They were high on each other.

He put his arm behind her back and thrust harder into her, making his girlfriend moan loudly. They kept gazing at each other fixedly, with desire and passion.

The cry of pleasure came after their moving bodies couldn't take it anymore and released the proof of their satisfaction. They kept kissing each other afterwards.

"It keeps getting better, doesn't it?" Clark said as he laid on his back on the bed.

"You know it," Lois said, bliss all over her face. She then laid on her side, placing her hand on his chest and caressing it. "I knew we could be great together, but this? This surpassed all my expectations."

He leaned in, their noses touching lightly. "You're right. This is everything I dreamed of and more.

"Moi?"

He pulled her naked body closer to his, their lips very close to each other. "You."

"You know, there's nothing more I'd like than suck those delicious lips of yours, but we should eat the croissants I brought from Paris."

"I'm not hungry." His eyes on her, however, said otherwise.

Lois pressed his cheeks together with her fingers. "I am." She then got up and put on a robe, heading to the kitchen.

"With the game and all, I hadn't the opportunity to ask. How was your day?" Clark asked, still lying on the bed, resting on his elbows.

Lois returned to the room with a bag of croissants and two glasses of lemonade, handing Clark his. "It was normal. I'm getting better at my job, but nothing headline worth. But something happened."

Clark took a sip of his juice. "What?"

She sat on the bed. "I helped someone. It happened earlier tonight, I was flying, clearing my mind -"

"You were flying..."

"Yeah. I was flying and then I heard this woman's cry for help. I went down there and saw the thief running away with her purse. I acted quickly and knock him down and returned the purse to her. Finally, I waited until the cops arrived."

"Oh, that sounds amazing," Clark said, giving her a shy smile. There was a hint of uncomfortableness in his voice.

"It was. The happiness on that woman's face, one less bad guy in the streets. It may sound cliché, but it really felt like I made the difference."

Clark only nodded. He was happy for Lois, he really was. But he couldn't shake off the thought bothering him in the back of his mind.

-º-

In the evening of the next day, Lois arrived at the farm. She spotted Martha in the kitchen. "Hey, Mrs. K," she greeted with a smile.

Martha smiled back. "Lois! Hi. How are you?"

"I'm fine. Is Clark here?"

"Um, he told me he had work to do in the field near the woods."

"I'll look for him. Thanks."

Lois went to look for Clark. After a few minutes, she found him. She watched from afar curious as he was standing still in the middle of the field, eyes closed. He was taking deep and long breaths.

Surprise hit Lois when Clark started to hover. The act, however, didn't last long, Clark was back on the ground. He opened his eyes, frustation evident on his face.

Clark positioned himself to start trying again, but he then saw Lois. He gulped. "Lois?"

Lois moved closer. "Y-you were flying?" She asked, confused.

He looked down, avoiding her eyes. "Hovering, actually. I can go a little higher than that, but that is it."

"Was it the first time?"

"No."

Realization dawned on her. "How long have you been practicing?"

He looked at her. "Since when you and I agree we'd not let this interfere in our relationship."

"Why didn't you tell me? I could've help you."

"Because I want to do it on my own. You did it, Raya did it. I should do it, too."

"Not that I don't see your point, but there's no shame in getting help. You helped me and it was great."

Clark shook his head. "It was different. You had just learned your powers..."

"And you're learning to fly now." Lois grabbed him by the jacket. "Let me help you. Please."

He averted his eyes. "I can't."

Lois shook her head in disbelief. "So much for working together." She pulled away and started to walk away.

Clark watched as she started to leave. He sighed. "Lois." She turned around. "I'm sorry. Would you help me?"

She smiled, nodding her head.

Several minutes later, Clark and Lois were up in the air. "Since the taking breaths didn't work, let's try something else."

Clark raised an eyebrow at her. "Which is?"

"I'll drop you from up here."

Clark gave a little laugh. "You're crazy."

Lois made a face that showed she was being serious. "You won't get hurt, Smallville. It's worth a shot."

He nodded, uncertain.

"Ready?"

Clark looked down and gulped. Lois then dropped him.

"Don't let your fears come through, focus only on your task," she yelled.

Clark kept his eyes open, watching himself passing through the clouds in his way. The muscles of his face flexing as he tried to stop his fall. But as he got closer to the ground, he became nervous and only managed to fall onto his feet, creating a small crater in the ground.

Lois approached him, still hovering in the air. "One more time?"

"No," he said, defeated. "It won't work."

"You just tried it once."

"And it didn't work."

Lois rolled her eyes. "You complained about me, but you're an even worse pupil."

Clark crossed his arms, his eyes bored. "Did I nickname you yet?"

"You do that and no nookie for a week," Lois replied, unimpressed.

Clark's lips curled into a smile. "Is that a promise or a threat, Ms. Lane?"

She stopped flying and moved closer to her boyfriend. "I tell you what, you catch me and then we decide what this is." She started to step back, a seductive smile on her lips.

Clark stepped forward, following her steps. "I thought you were helping me with the flying."

"I am." Lois gave him a wink before starting to fly away.

But to Lois's surprise, Clark super jumped at her direction and caught her, making both of them land on the ground. "What are you doing? You were supposed to fly!" Lois said.

They were both lying on the ground, Clark on top of her. "I was supposed to catch you and I did," he told her, calmly.

Lois pushed him off her and got up. "You're avoiding it."

Clark sat up. "What you want me to do? For weeks I've been here and tried to learn to fly and nothing. I tried everything and still nothing. Maybe I'm just not ready to," he said, frustrated.

"So you're just gonna give up?"

"No, I'll just wait for the right time."

Lois started to get annoyed. "So it'll be fine if I start to fly around you all the time, right?" She hovered over him.

"I love you, Lois. I'm happy with everything you accomplishes."

She gritted her teeth. "What if I start to be your personal wings?" She then grabbed him and flew them up.

"I..." Clark looked down and around. "I-I'll eventually get used to it."

Lois shook her head and flew them higher and higher. Clark frowned. "What are you doing?"

She kept quiet, still flying them toward the outer space.

"Lois? Lois?"

They entered the space. "Damn, Lois, answer me!" His voice only reaching her ears through the super hearing powers.

She let go of him once they were in deep space. "If you want to come back home, you'll have to learn to fly."

Clark angered. "Are you out of your mind?"

"You said you tried everything, but that's not true. There's one thing left. Urgency. That's how I got mine."

"That's not how it works. Raya didn't need it."

"Raya had been a kryptonian way longer than you and I, Clark. She didn't deal with the conflict of trying to be both kryptonian and human or to accept who we are. We're both grounded people, and that's a good thing, but it's also our biggest obstacle to overcome."

Clark tried to stay in a stand position, in vain.

"I won't be far away. Just remember, it is in you." She then flew away.

"Lois! Lois!" Clark called, in vain. He tried to use all of his strenght to gain control over his own body, but kept failing.

From afar, Lois watched Clark wandering in space. She was doing this for him, but part of her wonder if she went too far. And this regret increased each time he was pushed further away from Earth.

Clark was angry at Lois. It was irresponsable of her to leave him here, no matter how good her intentions were. He looked around, Earth seemed so small from where he was. He saw the outer space once, but never reached this far into it. Never could.

He wondered if Lois came here before. He then realized he'd been avoiding to talk about her flights for so long that he barely knew this new part of her life. How calming this is, the places she had been. He knew nothing of it. And she must have noticed that.

Shortsighted.

He had it all, what was stopping him, then? He once was afraid of heights, but it was such a long time ago and so much have changed in his life, including that. Was is it the Kal-El part? Raya and Lois helped him to accept this as an important part of him.

What was it, then?

He looked at Earth again. So far away. So tiny. Still his home. Family, friends, Lois. He could never leave it, never want to. He could reach the stars, but would never forget his roots.

In that moment, Clark understood Jor-El's words.

 _Save Earth._

Save his home.

Clark closed his fists, his body suddenly stopped being moved around. The vacuum of the space had the quietness he needed, but it also had the beating heart that so much inspires him.

He smiled one last time before finally taking flight. A huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He flew towards a heart that beats faster by the second. He could feel she was smiling, proud of him.

Clark finally spotted his lover, gazing into her lovely eyes. A sunshine for his.

"You made it!" She yelled in the soundless space.

He approached her. "I did. Thanks to you."

Lois shook her head. "It's all you, Smallville."

They kept smiling and gazing at each other.

Lois cleared her throat. "So... What's next in store for us?"


	23. Chapter 23

**WARNING: This chapter contains mature content.**

 **Chapter 23**

"Our planet is so beautiful," Lois said.

Clark nodded. "It is."

The two of them were sitting on the moon, watching the planet. It was Clark's idea, so they could enjoy a moment of quietness after their little spat earlier that night. He was feeling so peaceful. Free.

Clark looked at Lois. "Have you ever been here before?"

Lois shook her head. "Never even left Earth before."

He looked surprised. "Seriously? Why?"

"I don't know. Fear of the unknown, maybe. The truth is, I never had a motive to come up here until I had this crazy idea to throw you into space," she told him, chuckling a little toward the end.

Clark gave a weak smile before turning serious. "I'm sorry I wasn't more supportive of you."

"That's okay…"

He put his hand over hers. "I mean it." She looked at him. "I should've been supportive, I should've let you share everything you did with it, the same way I'm gonna share with you."

Lois put a hand on his cheek, stroking it with her thumb. "I appreciate the apology, but there's no need for that." She stood up and extended a hand to Clark. "Fly with me?"

Clark took it and stood up, pulling himself closer to Lois. Their foreheads were touching each other. Their eyes met in a passion nothing in the world or beyond could break. His lips slowly leaned in to meet hers.

Lois's lips, however, curled into a smile as her feet left the ground and she broke contact with Clark. He looked up and saw Lois winking at him, before flying away. He then flew after her.

Clark managed to catch Lois after a few miles. He wrapped his arms around her waist. "Why do you keep running away from me?" he asked, jokingly.

"You just can't keep up with me."

"You're sure about that?" Before Lois could answer, Clark planted a kiss on her lips. They kept flying and rolling in outer space as they tasted each other's mouth.

Suddenly, Clark pulled away, leaving Lois wanting more. She opened her eyes to see the cocky smile on his lips. She opened her mouth to say something but stopped. Instead, she started to unbutton her shirt.

Clark blinked twice. "W-what are you doing?"

Her lips curled into a smile. "You seem tense, Smallville." And there went another button.

He gulped, unable to keep his eyes off where her hands were. "We should… We should go back home."

Lois moved closer. "C'mon, don't tell this never crossed your mind." She unfastened another button, exposing a little the white bra she was wearing.

"I… I…"

"Help me with those last two buttons?" Clark hesitated, which made Lois hesitate, too. "But if you're not sure about it, that's okay."

"It's just… It's, uh, unusual for me."

Lois stepped back, averting her eyes. "You're right." She then forced a smile. "We should head back home."

She started to fasten back the buttons of her shirt, having difficulty to finish the task. Clark watched her with warm eyes. He shook his head, smiling as he realized the obvious.

Clark moved closer to her and stopped her from fastening her buttons. He then lowered his head so his lips found hers.

"What are you doing?" Lois asked, without breaking the lip-lock.

"Kissing you."

"That one's obvious. But I meant your hand trying to unbutton my shirt."

"Oh, that. Well…" A grin showed up on his face. He then started to kiss her neck as he unfastened one button. "You're not gonna need it for what we're about to do."

Lois frowned. "I thought you –"

His lips descended to her chest, while his hands unbuttoned another one. "I hesitated, yes. But then I see your face and all I know is that I want to be weird and crazy like you. Weird and crazy for you."

"You're seriously calling me weird and crazy?" Lois said as she moaned with the kisses Clark was giving on the spot between her breasts.

"My weird and crazy. The one I want to do everything with and more."

Clark unfastened the last button of her shirt as he kissed her belly. Lois ran her hand through his hair, enjoying the butterflies in her stomach he was giving her. "You're definitely not of this world," she said, completely in bliss.

"Nice of you to notice," Clark grinned. He looked up and gazed lovingly at her. Slowly, he stood up and took her shirt off her, holding it in his hand. Lois wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him on the lips, feeling his arms around her instantly.

His tongue took the lead as it slid inside her mouth and found hers, both of them moving in harmony. His lips then nibbled her upper one, sending shivers down her spine. Both of their bodies were burning, claiming for more.

Lois quickly took his jacket off. "Uh, it isn't working."

Clark, who was still lost in the kiss, opened his eyes, confused. "What?"

"Our clothes. We're in the middle of nothing. We either keep holding it, which I'm pretty sure I won't be able to, or we let go of it, which, you know, I'd like to be wearing once we return."

"Oh." Clark looked pensive. "The moon?"

Lois nodded. "The moon."

Clark gently held Lois and together they flew toward their destination as they kissed again. They landed shortly after on the lunar soil like a small meteorite crash, giggling nonstop.

Lois sat on top of Clark. "Look at your shirt, all dirty. We gotta do something about it."

"What do you have in mind?" He asked in a husky voice.

"Let's take this off you first." Lois's hands went under his shirt, running it through his muscular torso. She then grabbed the end of his shirt and lifted it off him. She leaned down and started to kiss and suck his neck, also nibbling his earlobe in the meantime.

Clark cupped her face and took her lips in his. The kiss was hard, demanding. Her sweet lips felt like melting in his mouth as he tasted the wild cherry flavor that came out of her. Her constants moans only increased the hardness of his member.

His hands went behind her back, tracing the underwire of her bra. He unfastened it, revealing her firm and beautifully formed breasts. Clark threw her bra at the ground and placed his hands at her breasts, caressing it with much care. He smiled and leaned forward, capturing her lips with his again.

Clark rolled Lois onto her back and descended his lips to her neck, where he sucked, licked, and nibbled, leaving marks of his passion. Lois pulled his hair and scratched his back, trying to hold back the burning desire in her already wet entrance.

As Clark's hot mouth found her nipple, Lois's mind travelled back to a time they weren't this intimate. She knew his body before the man himself. He was toned, well-endowed, powerful, and yet she'd never imagined she would picture it, feel it over her every day. Feeling one of his strong hands grabbing her butt through her skirt, while the other one drew circles on her belly. It felt so good.

But as much as his physique excited her, what got her the most was the man sucking her breasts like it was his favorite candy. It still surprises her how such a man manages to be gentle and voracious when making love to her. He fulfilled her in such a way that it was impossible not to love him even more.

Clark Kent, her boyfriend.

How wonderful it was to find what she always looked for in the least expected place. A home. She had found a home in Smallville. Her Smallville. How wonderful it was to finally take a good look at him.

So she opened her eyes and saw him gently opening her skirt and taking his time to slide it down her legs. Lois gasped as Clark kissed her core through her pink underwear. "You know, I like pink very much."

"You do?"

He kissed it again. "I do." He then traced his way back to her lips with kisses, capturing her labium with sweet nibbles. His nose rubbed her cheek. One of his hand caressed her hair, while the other one grabbed her tight, bringing her body closer to his.

Clark then placed his hand over her core, rubbing it through her panties. Lois moaned with his touch, which brought a triumphant grin to his face. His hand then slid inside her panties, his finger pausing in front of the lips of her entrance. He gave her several single-lip kisses as he teased her core, running his fingers up and down.

Lois groaned. Clark chuckled and kept tasting her mouth. It was only when she lifted her hips that he finally conceded and thrust his index finger inside her. A muscular and strong finger penetrating slowly and gently. Her muscles contracted in pleasure. It felt good to have a part of him finally inside of her.

Clark kept pushing his finger in and out of her as he started to trace and suck her jawline. Lois placed her hands on bare torso, squeezing and feeling his toned chest. Clark then thrust a second finger inside of her, making her moan louder. "You like it?"

"You know I do," she replied, the words barely escaping her lips.

Clark grinned. "Just checking." He then vibrated his fingers with his powers.

Lois held him tightly. "Oh, my god."

Her wet folds covering his fingers made the bulge inside his pants grow bigger, begging for attention. He ignored it and just kept pushing his fingers inside her clit, but got a nice surprise when he found it being rubbed by Lois's hand. She smiled at him and captured his lips with hers.

Clark saw Lois's satisfied expression, he knew she was getting there. He thrust faster and harder, holding her naked body tighter. He sucked her neck as he added a third finger inside her. Lois was gone after that. She screamed loudly as the orgasm came. A scream that only he could hear in the vacuum. A scream, however, that was only ever meant to him.

"Do you want to wait before…?" He asked as he nibbled the lower lip.

Lois frowned. She then rolled him onto his back. "You gotta be kidding me. You not even lost your pants yet."

"I was just…"

"Shut up." Lois crashed her lips onto his, taking charge of the movements of his mouth. Clark made no objection. Her hands went down, unfastening his belt. He took his shoes off with his feet.

Lois's mouth descended to Clark's neck, licking and sucking it. She also unzipped his pants and slid her hand inside his pants, taking his cock in her hands through his boxer. He laid his head back as her hand ran up and down his erect member. "You like this?" She asked, teasingly.

Clark gave a small laugh. "I like you."

Lois made a face of approval of his answer. She let go of his shaft and wrapped her arms around his torso and kissed his chest. She then started to bite and lick his nipples. Clark bit back a moan. She descended further and started to lick his belly button.

After giving one last kiss on his lips, she returned her attention to his pants, taking it off him. The same happened to his underwear. Lois stared with desire at his cock, its head with pre cum on. She decided to give it a bit of handjob before it met her core. Clark squeezed her butt cheeks as Lois ran her hand up and down and pressed the head with her thumb.

She stopped not long after to begin the final act of their lovemaking. Slowly and carefully, she invited it inside her. Skin to skin, no condom this time. They avoided the latex protection whenever they could, because the sex was even better when there was nothing, absolutely nothing between them. She closed her eyes as she took his fine member fully. And so she rode him, like the master she was when she was on top of him, when she claimed him hers.

And Clark liked it. Liked? No. Loved it. Loved the beautiful sight it was to watch her loving him, making love to him. In his most animalistic desire, he loved how her perfect figure connected so perfectly with his body.

Like it was meant to be.

His previous relationships didn't work at all, but with her everything was perfect. Everything worked. He wondered if she was the one, but as he watched she rocking her hips, taking in his shaft, there were no wonders, only sureness. And he was going to show her that.

Clark rolled Lois onto her back, without breaking the intimate contact. "I love you."

"Me too, Smallville."

They kissed again, letting their tongues found each other. Clark's thrust inside her were slow and steady. Peaceful, like them. Passionate, like them. Special, like them. Just Lois and Clark.

Clark then pushed harder inside her. The kisses became more voracious. Their fingers interlaced. The rhythm was maddening, their bodies were burning in passion. Every thrust was a declaration of love.

He dug his fingers in the hair behind her head, pulling it slightly so her throat got full attention. He gave it slow and gentle kisses, a contrast to the more aggressive and passionate act happening down their bodies.

Pulling Lois legs around his waist, Clark stood up with Lois. He then flew off with her, still thrust into her. He let them wander into the space as they loved each other, because in that moment they were the only thing that mattered for each other. Despite the beauty of the stars, nothing compared to the sight of looking into each other's eyes.

Clark moved faster and faster inside Lois. She dug her fingernails in his back as he consumed her.

They couldn't take it anymore. And it wasn't only because of pleasurable meeting between his cock and her entrance, it was also because their hands all over their bodies being equally exciting. His mouth on her earlobe. Her hair falling like cascade over his shoulder. His hand on her breast, while his thumb stroke her nipple. Her hand on his chest. His other hand squeezing her tight. Her foot running up and down his calf.

Their orgasms came together as her muscles contracted and his shaft released its seeds. They couldn't help but scream each other's name in their most blissful moment. They kept hugging, their bodies still connected, not nearly ready to let go of each other. Never ready.

Her hand touched his forehead, trying to tuck a hair out of it, in vain. Clark just kept gazing at her in love. He held her naked body tightly, leaning in to kiss the area above her left breast. Her heart.

"Lois."

"Clark."

They wanted to spend all they telling how much they loved each other, but their name, the way they said it, was enough. They then rest their foreheads together as they embraced in space.

"We should get our clothes before they get lost," Lois said.

Clark nodded. "Uh-huh."

Both of them looked at the moon, now distant from where they were. "They have space stations around the moon, don't they?" Lois said, raising an eyebrow in worry.

"They have."

"Then we really should get our clothes. Otherwise they'll think there's extraterrestrial life on the moon."

"Only this time they'd be right."

Lois looked at Clark. Clark looked back at her. And then they laughed. No small worry would ruin a night when important marks were achieved and important decisions were made.


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

Lois was at the archives at the Daily Planet looking through some old files for her supervisor and checking her email. One new message in particular drew her attention. "You might want to see this," read the subject, sent by someone who named him or herself as "asource." After clicking on the email, she realized there was a video attached to it.

She hesitated for a second, concerned it might've been a spam. However, as she looked at it closely, she saw the image highlighted in the video. Lex talking to another man. She looked at her sides and behind, checking to see if there was anyone else in the room. Clear, she then downloaded the video and hit play.

" _Ares is supposed to be operational," the man in the video spoke. He was sitting on a chair in Lex's office. Both of them were having a drink._

" _We're in the final stages of testing, Senator," Lex said, standing in front of the man._

" _Well, after all my shuffling to keep the appropriations under the radar, I certainly hope so, Lex."_

" _We both have a lot to lose, Senator."_

Lois recognized the man instantly. He's Senator Burke, who, obviously not coincidently, has been in Metropolis for the past two weeks.

She knew Lex wouldn't stop his schemes even after their last encounter, but now the opportunity to stop him once and for all had finally kicked in.

-º-

Chloe was sitting at one of the tables of the Talon looking glum when Clark appeared with a cup of coffee. "Here, an espresso. Hope it cheers you up," he said.

Chloe took it. "Thanks."

Clark sat on the opposite chair. He looked at Chloe, her mood didn't change one bit. "C'mon, just a few more weeks and Jimmy will be back. You'll see," he said, giving her a cheering smile.

Chloe sighed. "I know. I can't help it but miss him, though."

"If you want, I can fly you there."

Chloe raised an eyebrow. "Showing off, now?"

He chuckled. "Well, just trying to help a friend in need."

"You've been doing some of that lately…"

"Huh?"

"The mysterious saves those past few days. I believe you and Lois had something to do with that?"

Clark gave her a shy smile. "Um… Yeah. We didn't plan it, though. It just happened while we were… Uh, flying together."

"Is that how they call make out sessions those days?" Chloe smirked.

He blushed. "I… Uh…"

"Relax. I'm glad to see you two happy like that. You both deserve it. Plus, having a super couple protecting the city at night doesn't sound bad to me." She gave him a smile and turned her attention to her coffee.

Clark just grinned.

-º-

"Are you sure about this?" Lois asked to a waiter. She was talking to him outside the back of the restaurant.

"Got the reservation. Eats here every time he's in town." Just as he stopped to talk, the Senator's black limousine pulled up. "Voilà."

Lois handed him a folded up bill. "Thanks for the tip." She then approached the man as he left the car guarded by two bodyguards. "Senator Burke."

He extended his hand. "How do you do?"

She shook it. "Lois Lane, reporter. I was hoping to ask a few questions."

"Sure. Schedule an interview with my office," Burke dismissed her.

"You know, I tried to, but no one returned my calls."

"Well, that ought to tell you something, sweet cakes," he smirked and started to walk away.

Lois followed him. "Senator, last year, your salary was $150,000. Can you tell me how you managed to deposit over $5 million in a Cayman account?"

Burke expression changed to shock. He turned around and moved closer to her. "What paper did you say you work for, uh, miss..."

"Lane," she replied with a long and emphatically voice. "Lois Lane. I'm a reporter for the Daily Planet."

He swallowed hard. He then gave a small laugh, trying to cover his nervousness. "The Daily Planet? Um… That newspaper has seen better days. There's nothing here for your cat-box liner." He shifted his attention to one of his bodyguard. "Now get her out of here."

He turned his back to her and started to head toward the restaurant, but Lois was having none of it. "What about you working with Lex Luthor on the Project Ares?"

Burke stopped on his tracks. "What…?" But as he turned around, he saw his bodyguard putting a hand over his bleeding throat.

Lois blinked in shock as the man fell to the ground. She got even more confused when the other bodyguard was thrown against the windshield of the limousine. The two men were attacked out of nowhere by an invisible force. And as she looked ahead, there was only Burke in her sight.

Burke, terrified, grabbed the gun that his bodyguard dropped and tried to aim it at the attacker, but he was totally clueless of where the invisible person was.

As Lois was about to activate her x-ray vision, she heard a stabbing sound coming from where Burke was standing. Blood started to come out of his mouth.

"Senator!" Lois grabbed Burke before he fell on the ground. But as she looked up, she couldn't believe what she was seeing. A familiar face. "Oh, my God! Wes?"

Wes started to move closer holding a bloody knife, but stopped at the sound of sirens. He then disappeared right in front of her eyes.

Lois was left motionless. What had happened to him?

-º-

"Lois!"

Clark arrived at the Metropolis police station where Lois was being interviewed about tonight's murdering of Burke and his bodyguard. The other bodyguard was interned in grave condition. Lois was in the waiting room feeling pretty shaken up.

She looked up as she heard her name. "Clark."

He sat next to her and his hand over her arm, trying to ease her stress. "What happened?"

Before she could answer, a police officer approached them. "Are you Miss Lane's boyfriend?"

Clark looked at him. "Yes."

"You should take her home. She needs rest after everything she saw today. Here," He reached his breast pocket and took a card out of it and offered it to Lois. "If you ever need help to get through this, you can contact Dr. Michelle Lynch at the Metropolis General Hospital. She's really good, one of the best in those cases."

Lois took it. "Thanks."

The officer nodded and left.

"Let's go. You can tell me what happened in the car," Clark spoke. As he drove them home, Lois started to tell him about everything. "Did you tell the cops about the possible Lex's involvement in Burke's death?"

"No…"

Clark looked surprised. "What? Why not? You have a video that can be used as an evidence!"

"There's something else…"

He frowned. "What is it?"

"The reason I didn't tell them about Lex is because I… Um… I know the guy who did this. His name's Wes Keenan. We were army brats together when we were kids."

"Oh." Clark hesitated for a bit, fearing she wouldn't like what he was about to say. "Well, looks like he's working for Lex now."

Just like he feared, Lois didn't. "Wes? No way. He's career military. He's been decorated more than a Christmas tree. Even my dad loved him, and the General hates everybody."

"Are you sure it was him then?"

"I haven't seen him for years, but he has this little scar above his right eye, and... Uh… Trust me. It was Wes."

Clark nodded. "We'll look into it tomorrow."

Lois shook her head. "No! I want to have a little talk with Lex first."

"Lois…"

"Clark, he did something to Wes. I'm sure of it."

"And you think Lex will tell you anything? If you go there right now, you won't get any answers and you'll be risking Wes' safety. That is, if Lex's really controlling him."

Lois sighed. He had a point.

"We'll call Chloe tomorrow and the three of us will investigate it, okay?" He put his hand on her, stroking the back of it with his thumb. "You need to rest. Clear your mind of what you had to witness today."

Lois closed her eyes and threw her head back. "Don't even remind me."

Clark kept driving them to the farm. Lois tried to follow her boyfriend's advice, but she couldn't stop remembering tonight's events and worrying about Wes.

-º-

Early next day, Clark and Lois arrived at the Daily Planet, soon spotting Chloe. "Hey, Chlo. Did you get that thing I asked you?"

"Hey. Yeah, I did. You're not gonna like what I've found," Chloe said.

"What did you find?"

Chloe went to her desk and grabbed a piece of paper. "According to the U.S. Government, Wes Keenan was in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan four months ago. He was killed in action."

Clark and Lois exchanged a look. "No, that is not possible. I know what I saw," Lois told them.

"What else does it say?" Clark asked.

"Nothing. I mean, his military records have been classified."

Both Clark and Lois looked frustrated. Chloe cleared her throat. "Care to explain to me about the Lex video you told me about?"

Lois looked around, the bullpen full of reporters talking e looking for information about Senator Burke's death. "Not here." The three of them then headed to the archives. Lois closed the door and showed them the video.

"Wow," Chloe spoke after the video ended. She then smiled. "It's perfect. Now we have the perfect opportunity to send Lex behind bars."

Lois took a deep breath. "No, we don't. At least not yet."

Chloe looked surprised. "What?"

"I need to find what Lex has on Wes first."

"Lois, Lex must be drinking a glass of champagne right now thinking he got away with what he did. We can't let that happen."

Lois shook her head. "Sorry, Chlo." Her cousin then huffed. "I will give it to the cops once I find out what's happening, alright?"

Chloe nodded.

Clark decided a change of subject was needed. "Do you have any clue of who sent this to you?"

"To be honest, I was more focused on finding Burke's dirties than finding who could possibly have sent it to me."

"I can try to track it back to the source," Chloe said.

Clark didn't look confident in it. "Do you really think this person would use a personal computer?"

Chloe shrugged. "It's worth a shot. Whoever this person is, he or she might help us."

-º-

Lex was in the Project Ares facility inside the Reeves Dam, checking on Wes as Dr. Donovan Jamison ran some tests on him. "What is that?" Lex asked after there was a bleep.

"His alpha wave just spiked for a second. It's probably just feedback from the implants in his cortex," Jamison replied.

"Probably?"

"It's nothing to worry about. Everything's still holding within operational parameters."

"Make sure it stays that way."

The door of the room opened and Lex's assistant, Jason Bartlett, entered. "Sir. Just received information that Burke has been eliminated."

"Evidence trail?"

"Leads straight back to the mob, per your instructions."

Lex nodded and shifted his attention back to his soldier.

"There's been a complication. There was a witness."

"Nothing can get in the way of completing this project. Nothing. Take care of it." Lex then left the room.

Bartlett looked at the Jamison. "You heard the man. Prep him."

The doctor then woke up Wes, preparing him to go after Lois.

-º-

"Thanks for nothing, dad." Lois sighed as she hung up the phone. She and Clark were at the loft of the barn trying to find any new information that might help them.

"He refused it?" Clark asked.

Lois nodded, frustrated. She went to sit next to Clark on the couch."He wouldn't give me Wes's military records unless I told him everything. And I didn't want to involve him more in this."

Clark nodded. "I have more bad news. Chloe just text. Burke's bodyguard was declared dead this afternoon."

She breathed hard, her expression showing sadness. "I could have saved them. But it all happened so fast."

Clark put a hand on her face. "Hey, it's not your fault. You weren't expecting one of Lex experiments to attack that suddenly."

"I know. It just... It fe…"

Lois stopped as she saw Martha climbing the stairs, holding a tray with a couple of sandwiches and a couple of orange juice. "Thought you might be hungry."

Clark got up and grabbed the tray. "Thanks, mom." He placed it on the table in front of the couch and looked at a distracted Lois. "You should eat."

"I'm not hungry."

"Lois."

Martha looked worried. "Clark is right, sweetheart. You're looking tired. This is taking a tool on you."

Lois sighed. "It's so frustrating. Oliver doesn't have any new info on the Project Ares. I listened to Lex for a couple of hours and nothing. I talked to my dad, but he won't give me…" Lois stopped as she realized something and stood up. "Mrs. K, can I ask you a favor?"

"Of course."

"Do you think that you could use your connections to get a look at Wes' military jacket? I have to get my hands on that file. It might explain why Wes is doing this."

Martha looked hesitating. "Well, I've made a few friends in Washington. I don't know if they can help, but I'll see what I can do." She gave Lois a warm smile and started to leave.

Lois smiled back. "Thanks, Mrs. K."

"Feel better?" Clark asked.

"Only when I get that files in my hand. But it's something, at least."

Clark smiled and then hugged her. "You should rest a little. You barely slept last night."

"You didn't either all worried about me."

He gave a small chuckle. "True. I think we both need –"

A sound coming from the barn interrupted Clark. They pulled away and looked at each other, concern on their faces. They climbed down the stairs and went to check where the noise was coming from. Both of them were relieved when they realized it was just rocking chair.

Clark went to stop it. "Looks like it was just the wind."

Suddenly, Wes materialized from behind him. "Clark, watch out!" Lois warned, but it was too late. Wes sent Clark flying through the barn.

Then, in less than a second, he appeared behind Lois, aiming the knife at her. "Wes!" She called him, determination in her voice.

He motioned to attack her, but stopped immediately as he heard his name being called. They looked into each other's eyes. There, Lois could see it. She finally saw life in his eyes.

As Clark turned to look at them, Wes put his arm around Lois's neck and disappeared with her.

"Lois!" He cried, in vain.

-º-

"How could Lois have been kidnapped?" Chloe asked to Clark. They were leaving from her apartment.

"I think she let herself be dragged by him, but I'm not sure. When he hit me... Chloe, I haven't felt anything like that since I went up against Titan."

Chloe grew worried. "Clark, do you think he can actually hurt Lois?"

He breathed deeply. "Lois can take care of herself. But in any case, we have to find where he took her. Did you find anything that might help us?"

"I haven't been able to retrieve any information from the military files, but I did run a cross-check on his name, and I found one hit... Jodi Keenan."

"Jodi Keenan? Isn't that the woman who tried to kill Lex in the tunnels?"

"Guess who she's married to."

"Wes?"

"Looks like Jodi found out that Wes wasn't killed in Afghanistan."

"And she followed the trail all the way back here to Lex." Clark angered and started to leave.

Chloe was surprised by his action. "Wait! Where are you going?"

He stopped and turned around to look at her. "I'm gonna talk to Lex."

"Come on, Clark. We both know that Lex isn't gonna tell you anything."

"I'm done waiting. I'll make him talk."

"Before you do something you might regret, there's something you should know."

Clark looked puzzled. "What?"

Chloe took a deep breath. "I managed to track to source of that email. It was sent from a cybercafé."

He waited for her to finish, a little impatient.

"I hacked into the place's camera. The day, the time. It's Lana," Chloe said, concern evident in her voice.

Surprise took over Clark's face.

-º-

Lana arrived at the main room of the mansion, surprised by the visitor. "Clark? What are you doing here?"

"I need to talk to you. Is Lex around?"

"Uh… No. He just left."

He nodded. "Lois is in trouble."

"And what makes you think I can help?"

"Because you're the one who sent her that video of Lex and Senator Burke."

Lana's breath got heavier.

"You must know about Project Ares."

"I… Clark, I…"

"I'm not accusing you of anything. I'm just asking for your help, if you know anything…"

She took a deep breath. "All I know is Lex has been talking to Senator Burke about this military project. Yesterday, he threatened to shut it down. Maybe you should talk with him."

"I can't. Senator Burke is dead. He was murdered by the same man who has Lois. Lana, is there anything else... Maybe something that Lex let slip?"

"One of his men was just saying something about an asset that failed to return."

"An asset? That's what the military calls its soldiers. It's gotta be Wes he's talking about." He moved closer. "Lana, about that email, it's a dangerous game you're playing. Whatever reason you have to still be married to Lex even knowing all that, it isn't worth it. You'll end up hurt. Or worst, dead like Burke."

Lana gulped. She then regained her confidence. "I know what I'm doing, Clark."

Clark wanted to argue with her, but he was running out of time. "I hope you change your mind, Lana. You deserve better than this." Clark then left, leaving a very torn Lana behind.

-º-

"Wes! Wes! Stop hiding!" Lois kept looking around for her old friend. He'd brought her here and then disappeared. "Wes!"

Suddenly, the man appeared in front of her. "Designation incorrect. Call sign 'Ares,' prototype Mark IV."

"You don't remember me, do you? It's Lois... Lois Lane. My father is General Sam Lane. When I was a kid, he used to drag me around to all the bases that he was stationed at. One of them was Fort Addleson, where I met you."

Lois moved closer and continued. "Do you remember how you got that scar? You used to tell everybody that you got it falling off your dirt bike. But that's not how it happened. We got into the General's whiskey. Then we broke into the storage warehouse. We were wrestling around, being stupid. And I kissed you... The first time I ever kissed anybody. And you smiled your crooked smile. And then you puked and passed out and cracked your head open on the floor. Never could handle your liquor, Wes."

Wes closed his eyes, receiving a message. "Mission incomplete." He moved toward her.

"No."

"Eliminate target."

Lois stayed still as he moved closer. "Why did you bring me here? Think, Wes. This is Fort Addleson, okay? This is the warehouse. This is where I kissed you that night. Remember me!" She begged him, teary-eyed.

Her words started to reach him, making him struggle between his emotions and his new programming. After a few seconds, he finally won the battle and managed to regain control of his own mind, although with a confused look on his face. Lois smiled as she realized he was himself again.

-º-

"I killed a United States Senator?" Wes asked. He couldn't quite believe what he did.

"What happened? How did you end up like this?"

"I was stationed in Afghanistan. Our convoy hit an I.E.D. And then I woke up in the military hospital. That's when Luthor showed up," he told her, regret and guilt in his voice.

"Lex." Lois sighed. "He forced you into this, didn't he?"

"He offered me a way to keep serving my country."

"By turning you into a brain-dead assassin?"

"You think this is what I signed on for? He told me Project Ares was gonna help soldiers protect themselves on the field, so they wouldn't end up like I did."

"We won't let him get away with this, I promise you. Okay, we will expose Lex and Project Ares…"

Abruptly, Wes put his hands on the sides of his forehead and started to struggle against his programming again. At that very moment, Dr. Jamison, after being threatened by Lex, was trying to regain control over him.

"What? What? What is it? Wes? Wes?" She put her hands over his.

"Them... They're… Trying… To get back… Into my head."

"Well, fight it, Wes. Look at me. Look at me!"

"Run."

"No."

"Run!" He yelled.

"No!" She said, firmly.

Wes then stopped struggling.

"Wes?" Lois called, searching for his eyes. But as he opened it, she saw the coldness in it. He was gone again.

"Wes, you have to fight th –"

He punched her stomach, sending her flying through the base. He then became invisible again.

Lois coughed as she tried to regain her breath. "Wes…"

-º-

Clark and Chloe entered the farm house. "I think Lois is helping Wes to fight the mind-control."

"I'm not sure about that…"

Clark frowned.

"I talked to Oliver. He tracked down the doctor who used to work on the project. According to him, there's a little fail on the programming, which allow the person to regain control, but as long as there's someone controlling him, he won't ever be fully owner of his own mind and body."

He sighed.

"Oliver also told me Wes's invisibility is actually a force field. That's why he could make Lois invisible, too."

"So how do we break through it?"

"Something like the equivalent of a mini-nuke."

Martha entered the house through the kitchen door. "Maybe this will help... Wes' military jacket." She handed it to Clark.

"How did you get that?"

"Called in a few favors and had to promise a couple dozen of my own."

"Lois is right. Wes was a hero."

Chloe realized something. "He took her instead of killing her. If whatever programming they're using to control Wes is failing, maybe he'll go back to a place he remembers."

"Somewhere he lived or... Or was stationed," Martha added.

Clark checked his files again. "The military base that Wes grew up on was decommissioned a few years ago... Fort Addleson, just outside of Metropolis."

"Sam Lane was stationed there when Lois was in junior high. Maybe that's where…"

Clark didn't wait Chloe finish the sentence and superspeeded to the base. Chloe looked annoyed, while Martha just sighed. "Do you ever get used to that?" Chloe asked Martha.

"Not really."

-º-

"Wes, please stop. I don't wanna fight you!"

Lois was looking for him, but even with her x-ray vision she couldn't find him. Wes, on the other hand, kept circulating around Lois, looking for the right moment to attack her. The moment appeared when she had her back to him.

But before Wes could touch her, Lois turned around and grabbed his arm. "You can fight this."

He then tried to stab her with the knife on his other hand, but it bent.

Lois ignored the attack. "Wake up, Wes! Damn it, wake up!"

Wes dropped the knife and raised his closed fist, but Clark appeared behind him and grabbed him by the jacket, throwing him across the fort.

"Clark," Lois cried.

Clark immediately hugged her. "You okay?"

Lois nodded. "I am. Don't worry."

"We have to stop him."

"No… Clark, he's not himself."

"I know that. But he's Lex's weapon right now."

Lois looked hesitating.

"I read his files, Lois. You know Wes. Do you think he'd wanted to be keep like this?"

She shook her head.

"We can help him afterwards." Clark then turned around, but he realized Wes had disappeared.

"Do you have any idea how to stop him from becoming invisible?" Lois asked.

"I might have something in mind."

Wes reappeared in front of Clark and punched him in the face, sending him flying. He went after her next, but was met by a punch on his stomach. When she tried to land a second one, however, he dodged from it and disappeared again.

Clark got up, still feeling a little dizzy, and ran to Lois' side. "I'm getting annoyed with this ability of his. Do you see him?"

Lois was using her x-ray vision, looking around. "Nothing, it's like it doesn't work on him." But then she moved her head upward. "Look up!"

As Clark looked up, he saw Wes standing on the rafters, materializing himself again. The man then jumped down toward Clark with his superspeed. It was the opening Clark needed. He shot his heat vision at Wes, breaking through his force field and sending him flying across the warehouse.

"Wes!" Lois ran to him, sitting by his side.

"System... damaged. Turn protocol 38529532," He spoke, sounding like voice computer.

"Wes."

"... 38." He then regained control and smiled when he saw her. "Lois."

Lois smiled back. However, there was pain in Wes's expression. Clark approached them, concerned.

"You're gonna be fine. Do you understand me? You're gonna be okay. I'm gonna go get help, all right?" Lois told him, tears threatening to fall.

"No. Better this way. They'll never... Stop trying... To control me."

"You have to stay with me. Do you hear me?"

"Don't... Let them do this... To anyone else. Okay?"

"Okay. I promise, but you just stay with me, okay? Don't leave me."

Wes stopped talking abruptly. "Wes?" He then closed his eyes, life leaving his body. "Wes? Wes? No, no, no. No."

Lois started to cry. "Wes? Wes! Come on! Don't leave me!"

Clark watched the scene, saddened and feeling powerless. Lois's crying was breaking his heart. She kept going like that for about a couple of minutes.

He sat on his knees and put a hand on her back. "Lois…" He called her, concerned.

She didn't turn around. Instead, she stood up, wiped her tears, and simply whooshed off.

Clark blinked, completely surprised. He looked at Wes's body, not wanting to leave him in this place, but he had a really bad feeling about Lois taking off like that. So he went after her.

-º-

Lex was sitting on his chair feeling tired because of the busy day. His biggest accomplishment was starting to fail and he couldn't allow that. He wouldn't give up on it so easily, not after years of dedication.

Abruptly, the main doors opened. The most unexpected guest by Lex entered the room. "Lois? What are you doing here?" Lex asked, looking puzzled.

"You piece of human garbage," Lois said, her voice and expression in pure rage.

Lex got up and started filing a glass of wine. "Ha. I knew you didn't like me, but coming here in the middle of the night just to insult me is a little too much, you don't think so?"

Before Lex could take his glass, Lois grabbed him by the neck, lifting him off the floor. Lex tried to breath, only managing to do so with much difficulty.

"You've been nothing but a pain in everyone's life. You play with people's life like they're nothing. You don't deserve to live," she said. Her voice was shaky and the tears were still visible in her eyes.

Lex tried to take her hands off him, in vain. "L… L… Is… Sss… S… Top…"

Clark arrived at the mansion in time to witness Lois choking Lex. He ran to her side. "Lois, stop! Lois, stop!" He yelled.

"No. He must pay for what he's done. To Wes, Chloe and aunt Moira. To you." She tightened her grip, making Lex cough.

Clark touched her arm, trying to argue with her. "Don't do this, Lois. Don't, please."

"I can't believe you're siding with this monster!"

"Lois, you know deep down this isn't the answer. This isn't you. Stop, please."

"He deserves to die," she said, trying to convince him and especially herself.

Lex lost conscious, which made Clark grow worried. "Let him go."

"He deserves to die…" Her voice was losing strength.

Clark looked into her eyes. "Please."

"He deserves…" Lois let go of Lex's neck. He dropped on the floor unconscious. A tear fell down her cheek.

Clark breathed a sigh of relief. He tried to hug and comfort her, but she gave a step back. She then superspeeded away. Clark was about to follow her until he saw Lana looking at him with eyes wide-open.

He gulped. "Uh… Lana. H-how long have you been standing there?"

"Enough to testify what I just saw," she replied, still shocked. "Is Lois… Uh... How long does she do this?"

Clark took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Lana. I don't have time to explain it right now, I need to go after Lois. Check on Lex for me, okay?"

Lana nodded.

Clark nodded back and left the room. Once he was out of Lana's sight, he used his superspeed to go after Lois.

Lana moved closer to Lex's unconscious body, looking with contempt at him. Would anyone really miss him if he died? She sighed, shrugging off such dark thoughts.

-º-

Lois looked at the lake ahead of her. The tears were still falling down her cheeks. She lost an old friend tonight. She almost lost herself in the process.

She thought she had it all under control. Her powers, her morals. But all she could think of was doing justice with her own hands. Doubts started floating her mind.

Someone sat beside her on the grass. "Hey," Clark greeted.

She breathed hard. "How did you find me?" She asked, without sparing him even a glance.

"It would be remiss of me not to remember your childhood's favorite place, Geneva." He cleared his throat. "How're you feeling?"

"I'm not sure."

He nodded. "Look, Lois, I was just trying to help you from making a mistake. Like you helped me in the past. I knew you'd –"

"I know, Clark, and I appreciate it. I just can't deal with it right now. I try to calm myself, but every time I remember Wes's last words, this horrible desire to make Lex pay like he should comes right back." She swallowed her tears.

"He meant a lot to you, didn't he?" He asked, his words implying something more.

Lois gave him a look, which made Clark quickly regret his question. "Yeah, he did. Wes was my friend. After my mom died and my dad started to drag me around everywhere, the time I spent with him was one of the things that helped me forget that pain. Every year I looked forward to come back to Fort Addleson to see him again. We went separate ways, but we kept the memories."

"I'm sorry." He then got up and extended his hand. "We should head back, sleep a little and clear off our minds."

"I'm not coming back."

It took Clark by surprise. "What?"

"I need some time." She hesitated. "Uh… Alone."

Clark looked hurt. "Why?"

"I need to think. To cool off. Right now, it feels like I'm gonna explode in rage any time. If I see Lex again, I don't know what I'll be capable to do."

"You won't kill him, if that's what you're afraid. That's not you."

"I thought so, too. But I'm not sure anymore. If you hadn't got there…"

"You didn't kill him, that's all that matters."

Lois went quiet, avoiding to look at him. Clark realized she really needed this. She was hurt, feeling lost. Without counting the fact that back in Smallville, Lana now knows about her and Lex will probably grow suspicious of her. "Maybe you're right," he told her, despite his own desire to comfort her and stay by her side.

She looked up. She felt guilt as she could see the hurt in his eyes. "I hope you don't think I'm –"

Clark sat on his feet, in front of her. "Shh. It's okay. I understand." He continued. "Take as much time as you need. I'll be there waiting for you when you come back."

She closed her eyes as he gave a long kiss on her forehead. He then stood up, gave her a tight-lipped smile and flew away.

Lois shifted her attention back to the lake, a sight that so much relaxed her when she was a kid. Unwittingly, she looked down and that was when surprise hit her. A little black box was placed in front of her.

Her heart beat faster as she took it in her hands. She hesitated at first, but slowly opened it.

Air left her lungs as she looked at the beautiful medium-sized engagement ring sparkling under the moonlight.


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

Clark was sitting at the kitchen in the farmhouse looking at Wes's files, pensive. "How does this happen? All Wes wanted to do was serve his country, and wound up being used as a pawn."

Martha was also there preparing tea for them. "It happens more than I'd like to think."

Clark sighed. "Well, after what happened to Burke, for better or worse, we actually have a chance to stop this..."

"When do you plan to show the police the evidences against Lex?" Martha handed him his cup of tea.

"I'm just gonna pass by Lois's place to get a few notes she left there."

Martha caught a glimpse of sadness in Clark's eyes. "How are you feeling?"

He'd barely slept the previous night. The fact he understood why Lois needed a time alone, didn't diminish the fact he was hurt that she didn't want him by her side in this moment. There was also the issue with the bad timing proposal, but he wasn't ready to share it with anyone.

To Clark's relief, there was a knock on the door. Lionel opened it himself. "Martha. Clark," he greeted.

Martha gave him a greeting smile. "Lionel. Hi."

"I need to talk to you. I just got off the phone with the Governor. We were talking about your filling Burke's Senatorial seat until the next election."

She looked surprised. "Me?"

"Kansas needs to be represented by someone of unassailable character who can restore the faith that Burke has tarnished. The Governor agreed. You are the perfect choice for the U.S. Senate." Lionel looked at Clark. "Clark… You agree?"

Clark pondered it. He then stood up, looked at Lionel and then at his mother. "You should do it, mom." He gave her a small smile. "I think you should do it. And I think dad would have wanted you to."

"I-I can't move to Washington. We're barely keeping the farm running as it is."

"Clark can take care of that. Can't you, Clark?" Lionel asked.

Clark nodded. "I could lease out the back forty to Ben Hubbard. He's been wanting to work that land for years."

Martha sighed, still reluctant. "Oh, Clark."

"You and dad always taught me to put other people first, to use my abilities to help those in need. You have the chance to affect so many people, to change so many lives if you go to Washington. That's where you need to be if you really want to make a difference, mom. And it's where people like Wes need you to be."

Lionel smiled in agreement. Martha pondered it and then nodded shyly.

-º-

Clark arrived at the Talon. Heading to the apartment above it, he saw the door slightly open and a small noise coming from inside. It couldn't be Chloe, since he had just talked with her on the phone and she was at the Daily Planet. His heart started to be filled with hope. Was Lois back?

The smile appearing on his face suddenly disappeared as he entered the apartment and saw the last person he wanted to see. "Lex." His expression and tone changed to rage towards the man who had caused all of this. "What are you doing here?"

Lex looked serene. His eyes, however, kept studying Clark. "I was looking for my aggressor. Have you seen her?"

Clark gritted his teeth. He then moved closer and glared at Lex. "Stay away from Lois!"

Lex glared back at Clark. "You should be glad I hadn't sent her to jail yet after what she did to me."

"The only person going to jail is you. For what you did to Wes, for the murder of Senator Burke."

Lex's lips curled into a triumphant smile. "Not if you want the government going after your girlfriend."

Clark gasped. "W-what are you talking about?"

The bald man laughed. "Always the same." His expression turned to serious. "She shouldn't have attacked a man in his house surrounded by cameras everywhere."

"Her strength, her speed. I'd never guess it. Not from her." Clark swallowed hard, knowing very well what Lex meant. "But I got to give it to her, she was really willing to fulfill her promise to kill me."

Clark blinked in surprise.

Lex caught it, smirking. "What? Didn't your girlfriend tell you about her unfriendly visit to me in her vigilant disguise?"

Clark stood still. Lex guessed right, Lois hadn't told him that.

"The question now is, what is your role in all of this? Somehow, I can't imagine Clark Kent as just the supportive boyfriend."

Clark closed his fist, stepping closer and coming face to face with Lex. "You won't get away with it."

"Go ahead, send the proofs to the police. I guarantee you I'll know freedom way before your girlfriend. I'd watch out for your families and friends, too, I heard the government can be very persistent when they want answers."

Clark gave a step back, reluctantly. "I was wrong. There's nothing good left in you."

Clark's words were still capable to hurt Lex, but he decided to ignore it. He started to walk away. "Tell Lois… I didn't know Wes was her friend."

"Are you telling you're sorry?" Clark asked, skeptical.

"No." Lex then left without another word.

-º-

"Chloe, hey," Clark greeted his friend as he approached her desk at the Daily Planet.

"Hey," she greeted back, a sad look on her face.

Clark noticed it. "What happened?"

"The usual. Lex. Wes's body is gone."

Clark stayed quiet.

"I tried to talk to the Feds, but as far as they're concerned, Wes Keenan died in action four months ago." She sighed. "At least we still have the video to use against him."

"Don't hold your breath."

"What?"

Clark took a deep breath. "Lex knows about Lois. He threatened to turn her in to the government."

Chloe gasped. "Oh. Are you sure he isn't bluffing?"

He shook his head. "The mansion's security taped her using her powers."

Chloe looked disappointed. "So what do we do with those evidences then? We're so close to make Lex pay for at least one of his crimes."

"We wait until Lois comes back and decides for herself what to do with it."

"Don't you think we should tell her about what's going on?"

He shook his head. "No. She has a lot going on her mind right now, she doesn't need more to worry about. We'll tell her when she's back." He then looked down, hiding the hurt on his face.

Chloe looked empathetic. "Give her a couple of days and she'll be back."

Clark looked at her and nodded uncertain. He hoped she was right.

-º-

"You proposed to her?!" Chloe said, louder enough to attract the attention of her co-workers.

Four days had passed since Lois left. Clark missed her deeply, and not knowing anything about her nor how she was feeling was killing him. He was also afraid that the fact he left her an engagement ring was the reason she was taking this long to come back. He felt the need to tell someone about what happened.

Clark looked around at the onlookers and then glared at Chloe, receiving an apologetic look back. He then led her to the more quiet copy room. "I didn't exactly propose. I-I just left the ring there."

"What were you thinking? She wasn't in the right state of mind to make wedding plans!"

"I wasn't thinking, alright? I mean, I was planning to propose for awhile, but, I don't know, at that moment I just wanted to show her I want us to be together."

Chloe sighed. "You love her, I get it. But you also kinda dropped a huge bomb on her lap. She just need a little space to process all of this."

Clark didn't say anything.

"She's fine. She texted me two days ago, remember?"

He sighed. "I wish I could take that back."

"Hey, what's done is done. And, if you want my opinion, I don't think she'll say no," Chloe said, giving him a smile.

Clark grew hopeful. "You think so?"

She nodded. "I've never seen Lois more sure of one thing than when she's with you."

Clark smiled slightly. He then cleared his throat. "Uh, I need your help with something…"

"What is it?"

-º-

Martha was standing in the corridor of the farmhouse, holding an old photo of Jonathan and Clark when he was a kid, looking at it with fondness.

"Car's ready," Clark said as he entered the house. Martha put the picture down. "You know, I was thinking, if you're half the senator that you are a mom, this country's in really good hands."

Martha blushed. "I always thought you'd be the one to leave the farm first."

"Washington, D.C., is no different than Topeka. It's only a few seconds more away for me."

"That's not what I mean." She stepped closer. "Clark, if you feel need to do other things, I don't want you to let this farm keep you from doing that."

"This farm, it's my home. And it's been in our family for over a hundred years. Someone has to take care of it."

"But that someone doesn't have to be you. Just because I'm leaving doesn't mean you have to stay."

"I have no better place to be," he said, smiling at her.

Martha smiled back. "Well, maybe you could invite Lois to move in with you."

Clark breathed hard. "I'm not sure where we're standing right now."

"Clark…"

"It's been a week since she left, Mom."

Their conversation was interrupted by a knock on the door. Martha's assistant poked her head inside. "Excuse me. Senator, it's time to go. Your plane to Washington is waiting."

"I'll be right there." Martha then looked back at Clark, tearful. "I love you."

Clark hugged her. "I love you, too, mom."

Their embrace was heartfelt, Martha barely containing the tears. They pulled away after a few seconds. When she opened the door, one last surprise came in her way.

"Were you about to leave without saying goodbye to me?" Lois said, standing right in front of Martha, a grin spreading on her face.

"Lois!" Martha instantly hugger her. Lois wrapped her arms around her, closing her eyes. It felt good to see a familiar face again.

Clark just watched the scene, not knowing what to do or say. Hearing her voice again after days had his heart beating like crazy. His eyes started to focus on something that has changed on her.

"Oh my, God! Look at you, you changed your hair!" Martha said after they pulled away.

Lois had dyed her hair to dark brown. "Yeah, I decided it was time I went back to my original color," she told her, touching her own hair.

"You look beautiful," Clark finally spoke. They stared at each other, there was so much tension in the air. But there was also longing.

"Hey," Lois greeted, shyly.

Silence filled the space. Martha broke it with a clear of throat, looking at Lois next. "I'm sorry I can't stay any longer."

Lois shook her head. "It's okay. I just wanted to see you before you left."

"You two take care of each other, okay?"

Lois and Clark looked at each other briefly and then back at Martha, nodding shyly.

Martha took a deep breath, fighting back the tears. On her way out, she looked one last time at Clark, a sad smile on her lips. Clark smiled back, the supportive kind. The kind she needed.

And so she left, closing the door behind her.

"She'll kick some serious asses in Washington," Lois said.

Lois's voice took Clark out of his stare at closed door. He looked at her, nodding. "How did you know she was leaving?"

"Chloe. She texted me saying Mrs. K was leaving today."

"That's why you came back?"

"Yes and no. I was already planning to come back before Chloe's message. I just had to come back faster, which let's be honest, isn't a problem to me."

Silence arose again as they stared at each other. They really need to talk. He cleared his throat. "How are you? Are you feeling better?"

She nodded her head. "I am."

"Good." Words failed to come out of his mouth. He had no idea how to say what he wanted to say. Lois' shyness, unusual of her, wasn't helping either. "L-Lois, I... I -"

"Look, Clark," Lois interrupted him. "I know we had a lot to talk. How could we not? There's just something I need to do first."

Clark looked worried. "Is that about Lex?"

"I can't tell you. I'm sorry."

"Lois, Lex knows about you."

She gasped.

"Not just about your powers, but your disguise, too. He threatened to reveal it to people who could make your life a living hell."

Lois bit her lip. "I screwed up, didn't I?"

He stepped closer. "No. You didn't." He took her hand in his. "We can fix it."

"I will fix it," she said, gently pulling her hand away.

Clark stepped back, taken by surprise.

"Can you trust me on this, please? It's all I ask."

Clark nodded, not really sure what to make of it. "Be careful."

She nodded, a genuine smile appearing on her lips. She then headed to the door, opening it. She looked at him again. "See you later."

Lois left, leaving Clark even more confused than when she was away. What was she planning?

-º-

Clark climbed the stairs to the loft, surprised to found someone else there staring out of the window. "Lana?"

Lana turned around to look at him, the sunlight on her face, tired and serene at the same time. "You've been avoiding me all week," she said.

"I-I… Um… I've been busy."

She was expecting this answer. "Of course…" She took a deep breath. "I'm leaving Lex."

Surprised at first, Clark's lips quickly curled into a smile, feeling also relief. "Lana, I know this is where I'm supposed to say I'm sorry, but I can't. You'll be happier without him."

Lana stepped closer. "Clark, I came here to say goodbye. Lex is going to be very angry. It's too dangerous. I have to leave Smallville."

"Lana, you don't have to worry about Lex. You don't have to be afraid. Me, Chloe, Lois, we can protect you from him. We can protect you from anything."

"Lois…" She looked at her side, eyeing a picture of her and Clark together. "How long does she have those powers?"

Clark swallowed hard. "Y-You should ask her personally. I don't… It's not my right to tell you those things."

She nodded. "Is that why you two came together?"

A small smile appeared on his face, his mind recalling the past months. "It brought us closer, yes, but there's more story than that."

Lana turned her back to him, trying to hide the hurt on her face. "So much has changed between us. I was always afraid this day would come." She took a deep breath before turning around to face him again, showing an uncertain smile on her face. "I just feel that there might be some unfinished business between us."

He averted his eyes, putting his hands in his pockets. "Lana, I know I haven't been the most honest person with you. But after my father's death, I didn't know how to handle you, how to work out our problems."

"And then I went with Lex," she completed, regret in her voice.

Clark didn't reply to that. "I'd never expect to fall in love with Lois, of all women. But when I did, it all made sense to me. It just felt right."

Lana could see the sparkle in Clark's eyes as he talked about his relationship with Lois. It was clear to her that the spot occupied by her in his heart before, now belonged to another woman. She knew he was still keeping something from her, and her best guess was that it involved Lois's new situation, but above all she wanted to know so her relationship with Clark could get better from that point on, so they could be happy with nothing between them. She'd still be happy to know what it is, but it'd be a revelation from a friend, not the man who she dreamed of being the one she'd have by her side.

"I wish you can find someone who can make you feel that way, too, someday," he told her, sincerely.

"Maybe," she said, nodding shyly. She then cleared her throat. "I should be going."

"Do you… Do you want me to go with you? I mean, in case Lex tries to hurt you."

She shook her head. "Thank you, but no. That's something I have to face alone."

Clark was still concerned.

"I won't let Lex hurt me. I promise."

He sighed. "You're all testing my emotions to the limit today."

Lana chuckled. "Bye, Clark."

As she started to leave, she heard her name being called one last time. She turned around to look at Clark. "If you decide to stay, we're all here for you," he said.

Lana smiled at that.

-º-

Lex was at the office in his mansion talking on the phone with his assistant.

"Subject en route and fully anesthetized," Jason Bartlett said. They'd been investigating a mysterious phantom-alike figure who'd been possessing people around America. Until now the victims were already dead once they found them.

"Meet you at base," Lex replied. But as he started to leave, the main doors opened and Lana came in.

"Lex, we have to talk," she said, staring coldly at him.

"We most certainly do, but it will have to wait. I'll be back tonight."

"I won't be. Lex, I can't live like this anymore."

"Yeah, I don't blame you... Living a lie in a marriage you never wanted. It must take its toll after a while."

"You're the expert... Setting up a nursery, an heirloom crib, the tears of joy in your eyes when you saw that ultrasound. What kind of a toll does that take, Lex?"

Lex frowned. "What in God's name are you talking about?"

Lana angered. "I'm talking about the massive amounts of hormones that you injected into my veins to make me believe I was pregnant. What kind of a monster are you?"

Lex tried to look unaffected. "I don't know where you're getting your information from, Lana, but it's nothing but slander. You know I would never..." He tried to touch her, but she refused it.

"Don't lie, Lex. It's too late for all that. This marriage is over."

He looked hurt, while Lana had confidence in her eyes. She then started to walk away.

"Lana, I know I'm far from perfect... But you can't deny what we had between us."

She turned around to face him, stepping closer. "Lex, all there is between us are lies on top of lies," she said, raising her voice.

"Lana, everything I've ever done... It's because I love you."

"You aren't capable of love, Lex. You never were."

Broken, Lex pondered it, nodding to himself. He then started to walk toward the doors, closing it next. "It's Clark, isn't it?"

Lana huffed. How could he still try to blame others for what he had done?

"You never could get over him... Even if he is with someone else now. He's not coming back to you. She has something you don't."

Lana moved closer and looked into his eyes. "You're right, I never stopped loving him. And even if I can't be with him again, you can be sure he means more to me than you ever will."

Lex couldn't contain his anger hearing this, slapping her across the face next. Putting a hand on her bleeding lower lip, Lana looked back at him, furiously.

There was regret in Lex's expression. "Lana."

"That's the last time you'll ever touch me." She then tried to leave again, but he stopped, grabbing her arm.

"Do you really think I could just let you walk away?" He whispered.

"What are you going to do, Lex... Kill me? Because that's the only way you're gonna keep me in this mansion."

Lana freed herself and left for good, leaving Lex standing alone in the room.

-º-

Clark arrived at Lionel's office at the Luthorcorp. The man himself was sitting on his chair. "You wanted to see me?"

Lionel looked up. "Clark. Actually…"

Suddenly a black man materialized himself next to Lionel. "Actually, I did."

Clark recognized him instantly, taken by surprise by his presence. "The martian. W-what are you doing here?" He looked at Lionel. "Do you know him?"

"Lionel is an emissary of Jor-El. We're all on the same side," John Jones spoke.

Clark blinked, confused. He looked at Lionel again. "I thought you said you had lost your connection with my father."

"It was when Lex was possessed with Zod. I became possessed with all your father's knowledge. I found myself writing, in Kryptonian, the symbol for power."

"It was a beacon ... The same beacon Jor-El used when he needed me," John completed.

"You knew my father?"

John approached Clark. "I worked for Jor-El, bringing criminals to justice. When Krypton was on the verge of annihilation, he asked me to keep an eye out for you."

"Where have you been all these years?"

"Watching from a distance."

Lionel got up and stepped closer the two of them. "Your father wanted you to pass the test without any help. He wasn't to interfere unless it was absolutely necessary."

"When you unleashed those phantoms, your life was at stake. I didn't have a choice."

"Like what happened at the docks in Seattle," Lionel added.

"When that phantom infected Lois's mind," Clark recalled.

"That's right. Unfortunately, I've lost a step since then."

"What happened?" Clark asked.

John hesitated. "Nothing."

Clark looked down and saw blood on the martian's shirt. He then opened his jacket and saw a gaping wound in the side of his stomach. Lionel averted his eyes.

"That's not nothing," Clark said.

"I had a run-in with the last phantom. I have to leave Earth's atmosphere to heal, but first I must complete the job I started."

"I'll go after the phantom, I have the crystal that Raya gave me."

"I doubt that crystal will work," John said.

"It's not an ordinary phantom, Clark," Lionel spoke. "It's the product of a Kryptonian lab experiment. It's been destroying one human being after the other, desperately searching for the only host that will ensure its survival... A Kryptonian body."

Clark was sure of what he had to do. "Where's the phantom?"

"If you were to get infected, it could kill you," John warned.

"People are being killed every day. If anyone's gonna stop this phantom, it's gonna be me," Clark told them, firmly.

John pondered it. He knew Clark was right, but he couldn't help but be concerned for his safety.

-º-

The next morning, Clark and Chloe were at the bullpen of the Daily Planet doing some research. She was working on her computer and him on his laptop.

"So, you said the symptoms were black eyes and a high fever, right?" Chloe said.

"That and a bad temper," Clark replied. "Your hack worked. I'm into the QPP database. I'll start searching police records."

Chloe found what they were looking for. "Here we go. There was an eight-year-old boy admitted to a hospital thirteen miles away from that cabin in Québec, where the phantom attacked. Blackened corneas, high fever, explosive tendencies. And the doctors didn't know what was wrong with him."

"What hospital is he at?"

"St. Mary's, but that's not gonna get us anywhere because it says here the boy disappeared."

Clark typed into his laptop and pulled up a new file. "I have the police report. A maintenance worker said he saw the boy being loaded in an unmarked helicopter. This has got to be Lex."

"So, Lex is tracking a wraith from the Phantom Zone, and Lionel Luthor is your new father figure? This is a lot of excitement for one day," she said as she got up from her chair, indignant.

Clark followed her as she started to walk to get some coffee. "Yeah, there's more. Lana's leaving him."

Chloe smiled in relief. "That's a happy headline. Why didn't you say anything?"

"Chloe, she's also planning to leave Smallville. I thought she was going to tell you that in person."

She looked disappointed. "But she didn't."

"Maybe that's a good thing, maybe she's reconsidering her decision."

Chloe didn't comment on it.

Clark took a deep breath, ready to touch on another heavy subject. "Isn't Lois coming to work today?"

She shook her head. "I don't think so. She was entirely focused on something else yesterday."

He looked puzzled. "What was it?"

"She wouldn't tell me."

Clark sighed. His expression show signs of frustration. "I hate not knowing what she's thinking. I wish she'd trust me with whatever is on her mind right now. I just… I just want us to sit down to talk and be us again. No Lex, no phantom, no proposal."

Chloe understood her friend's feelings, but he also had a job to do. "You know there's something you must do before you go after your pot of gold."

He nodded. "I have to deal with this phantom."

-º-

Lois arrived at the Reeves Dam. All the work she had done yesterday had led her here. It'd been difficult to find clues about this place, but she then remembered that when Wes was dying, he spoke a bunch of numbers. It took awhile to decipher it, but she realized they actually were longitude/latitude coordinates.

She had made a promise to Wes. She'd stop Lex.

It's been a tough week for her. No friends or family around. No Clark. She felt so alone. She tried to forget what happened, have her thoughts clear from that dark cloud, but her mind keep going back to the image of her hands around his neck, feeling so powerful. And that scared her.

She managed to control her anger in the last days. But she still couldn't come back, not without knowing what she'd tell to Clark. To say she was surprised with the kind-of-proposal was an understatement. Their relationship was going great, but she wasn't expecting at all to Clark to even think in proposing to her. Least of all in a situation like that.

She loved Clark like she hadn't ever loved anyone else before. That she was sure of. But they were still very young and in the beginning of their lives. Was she ready to start living a life where she becomes the half of a whole?

This wasn't time to think about that, though. She had a job to do. Lois easily entered the facility. She wandered around the multiple corridors, breaking some locks in the way. Unfortunately for her, the walls were covered with lead, making impossible for her to use her x-ray vision.

As she kept trying to find she was looking for, she heard a voice talking to her. "What are you doing down here?"

She turned around to look at the facility's security guard. "I could fake I story, but why bother," she shrugged. "I'm looking for the latest issue of Lex Luthor's schemes magazine. Do you know where I can get it?"

The man grabbed his gun and aimed it at Lois. "Let's go for a walk."

"Okay, you got it. You're the guy with the gun," she said, approaching him slowly. Close enough, she grabbed his wrist and took the gun out of his hand, throwing it away. She then held his arm behind his back and pressed him against the wall. "Tell me the way to the project Ares!"

The man tried to free himself, in vain. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Lois groaned. She bent his arm further, making him scream in pain. "Where is it?"

"I swear, I don't know! Luthor only let a few selected guards in the rooms."

Lois sighed. She then let go of his arm, hitting him in the head with tip of her finger next, knocking him unconscious.

She went on with her quest.

-º-

"I'm through with you Luthors. I'm leaving Smallville," Lana said on the phone to Lionel. He was being drive in his limousine to the Talon, where she was.

"Lana, I'm minutes away. Just stay where..."

"I don't trust you. I don't trust anyone anymore," she said as she was leaving the building in a hurry, her fear coming through the call.

"Lana, stay calm, please."

"It's too late. Lex hit me."

Lionel grew worried. His car arrived at the Talon. "All right, I'm here. I'm pulling up right now."

"I'm getting out of here, and I'm never coming back." She hung up the phone.

Lionel stepped out of the car, heading toward the door, not realizing that Lana was running toward hers. He then saw her entering it as he heard the alarm beeps coming from her car.

"Lana!" He shouted.

Lionel tried to walk toward her, but a postal truck drove by the street, obscuring his view. Once it got out of his way, Lionel started to walk toward the car, but stopped as he realized it was not moving. Suddenly, the car exploded, the impact throwing him on the ground.

He watched perplexed the car going up in flames.

-º-

After a few more corridors, Lois finally had found a door. She used her super hearing to see if there was anyone in there. It was empty, which could mean there's nothing useful for her here, but she had to try.

One of the reasons she had waited one day to get in here was to come prepared. Having been in other Lex's facilities, she knew he liked to own his buildings, which means the doors opened with his digitals. Taking the opportunity that he had spent most of the previous night here, she had invaded his mansion to collect some digitals with a sticky tape.

Lois entered the room, looking around for any paper that could prove what Lex has been doing in this place. However, she found nothing. She then walked toward a panel in the room. Looking up, she saw a huge window.

Tracing the buttons on the board, she came across a red switch button. She assumed it would turn on the lights, so she triggered it. She guessed right.

Lois looked shocked as the lights revealed a huge room full of several bodies.

\- -º-

Clark entered the mansion abruptly. Lionel was sitting on a chair, with a drink in his hand, mourning the latest event.

"Lex has the phantom. He used an unmarked helicopter to kidnap a boy from the same village in Québec," Clark said.

Lionel turned around to look at him, trying to tell him what happened, failing miserably.

Clark noticed the scrape and dirty on Lionel's face, frowning. "What happened to you?"

Lionel set down his drink and got up, looking downcast. "Clark, I, uh... I don't know how to tell you this."

Clark grew concerned. "Tell me what?"

Lionel looked at him, despair in his eyes. "It's, uh... Lana. She's... She, uh..."

"She what?"

"She's gone."

Clark approached him. "What do you mean 'gone?'"

"She's dead, son."

Air left Clark's lungs. He couldn't believe it. "No."

"It was a bomb in her car."

Words failed Clark. It couldn't be happening. He stepped away, not wanting Lionel's words to sink in. "I don't believe you."

"I was there, Clark. I saw it happen." Lionel approached him, looking into his eyes to prove he was telling the truth.

Clark turned around, the news finally sinking in. Tears started to form on his eyes as the pain became too much.

Lionel put a hand on Clark's shoulder. "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry," he said, sincerely.

Clark's pain turned into angriness. He turned to face Lionel. "She was gonna leave him. He didn't let her leave. I shouldn't have left her alone." He breathed hard. "Where's Lex?"

"Clark..."

Clark grabbed the older man by his jacket. "Tell me where Lex is."

"I can't let you do something you'll regret for the rest of your life."

"I won't regret sending Lex to jail. He must be stopped." He let go of Lionel's jacket. "And it's time you show what side your really are. Where's Lex?"

-º-

Lois flew through the bodies all over the room. They mostly belonged to former soldiers. What terrified Lois the most, though, was that none of them seemed to have a beating heart.

They'd be use and act like zombie puppies, serving his master's purpose. "You are a monster, Lex," she said to herself.

Helicopter and car crashes, hit by bullet, bomb. These soldiers had suffered all kinds of accidents, and yet their bodies had no damage. She'd find whatever Lex's team was using and destroy it.

As she kept looking around the room, something at distance took her attention. Lois approached it, carefully. Her heart beat faster as she looked closer at it. "Wes?"

She was furious when Chloe had told her that Lex had taken Wes's body from the Feds, but she knew yelling at Lex for doing it wouldn't help her at all. But she had never expected to find his body, she thought Lex had burn it at this point. He probably still needed him for his countless experiments, she thought.

But she was so glad he didn't disappear with her friend. She hugged his body, smiling. "I'll take you out of here. I'll give you the proper funeral you deserve."

-º-

"We're here," Lionel told Clark as his car pulled up at the entrance of the Reeves Dam's facility. Clark's expression made it clear he was still mourning Lana's death, mixed with anger at Lex. "Son, don't let the feelings consume you."

Clark didn't look at him. "Wait here." He then got out the car and entered the facility in less than a second.

Lionel was worried for both Clark and Lex. His own son had reached a point where nor even the most optimistic of the men believed there was redemption for him. And he was afraid the worst could happen in Clark's sorrow state.

So he had brought lead box with kryptonite in it, hidden from Clark. He then headed inside.

In one of the corridors, Lex was running for his life. While they were analyzing the boy possibly attacked by the phantom, he woke up, possessed by the phantom. Killing Lex's assistant first, he then target Lex and Dr. Jaminson. Protecting himself above everyone else, Lex run out of the room, locking the doctor and leaving him to die at the monster's hands.

He kept running, but halfway through was pushed against the wall by Clark abruptly as the man himself was using his superspeed, unseen by Lex. "She was your wife, Lex."

"Now is not the time to lecture me about my marriage, Clark," Lex told him, his breathing uneven.

Clark got angrier. "Why did you do it? Just tell me."

"Get your hands off me!" Lex yelled.

"You afraid she was gonna bring you down, or was it just too humiliating for you that she was gonna leave you? Why'd you have to kill her? Why?"

Lex looked hesitating, Clark's words finally registering in his mind. "What are you talking about?"

"You already know. Lana is dead," Clark said, tears threatening to appear.

Lex looked genuinely shocked, on the verge of breaking down. "No."

Clark grabbed him by the coat. "No. You don't need to act so surprised. You're the one who killed her. You put a bomb in her car. You're the one who killed her!"

Lex's confusion was interrupted by the noise coming from a door opening. At the end of the corridor, the one he had been running from, there was the boy. He looked panic-stricken. "Get out of here. He'll kill us both."

"He is right," the wraith phantom said.

Clark freed Lex and pushed him away. Lex ran for the exit. Clark turned around to face the phantom.

"At last… A kryptonian."

The phantom then left the boy's body, heading toward Clark. Clark tried to use the Phantom Zone crystal against it, but as they collided, he was thrown against the wall, breaking it, sending him into a huge power generating chamber.

Feeling a little dizzy, Clark tried to get up. But as he looked to the side, an image shocked him. An exact copy of himself, only with an opposite outfit, dark blue jacket and dark red T-shirt instead of red jacket and blue T-shirt.

"Thanks for sharing. I feel a lot better now," the phantom said.

Clark was completely confused. "What just happened?"

"I took a little piece of your DNA." The phantom then grabbed Clark around his neck and held him up. "And now I'm gonna take your life." He then hit Clark on the face, sending him flying into one of the power generators, destroying it.

-º-

Outside the facility, Lex was leaving in his car, but before he could leave the bridge, a group of police cars blocked the exits. The officers got out of their cars, as did Lex, pointing their guns at him.

"Put your hands up," one of them said.

"My wife... Something's happened to her."

"Hands up now."

Lex raised his hands. "You're making a mistake."

The police officer grabbed Lex's hand, pulling it behind his back and pushing the bald man against the car. He then handcuffed Lex. "You're under arrest for the murder of Lana Luthor."

Suddenly, the bridge started to shake.

-º-

The phantom kept throwing Clark around, destroying everything in the way and causing the whole place to shake. He went after Clark again, but as he reached the spotted he had thrown Clark in, it was empty.

Appearing behind him, Clark put a hand on the phantom's should and made him turn around, punching the man as his face was turned to him. The punch sent him flying against the far away wall, destroying a large water pipe, which started to flood the place and made the whole dam start to collapse.

-º-

Lois was reading some of the soldiers' files when she felt the facility tremble. She frowned, wondered what had happened. She headed toward the door, opening it.

To her shock, the place was being flooded and falling to pieces as it collapsed. Without much time in her hands, Lois grabbed some files and wrapped Wes's body in the sheet that was covering his body, carrying him away from there.

-º-

Lionel walked through the collapsing corridor. He reached in time to see the phantom being thrown against a wall, thinking it was Clark. "Clark. Son, what is it?"

"That's not me. It's the phantom," Clark yelled from the distance.

Lionel turned around to look at him, gasping.

The phantom got up. "How do you like my new look?" He said, smirking.

Lionel then took the kryptonite out of the lead box and thrust it at the phantom's chest, making screams in apparent pain. But as the kryptonite glowed with a bright white light, the phantom pressed Lionel's hand further on his chest, absorbing its energy.

The older man looked shocked at the reinvigorated expression on the phantom's face. "Thanks. That's just what I needed." He then threw Lionel against a wall, leaving him unconscious on the floor as the water kept filling the place, covering almost all of Lionel's body.

The phantom stepped forward to face Clark, although keeping himself at a considerable distance.

"What the hell are you?" Clark asked.

"I'm you, only a little more bizarre."

The two of them ran toward each other, meeting halfway. The impact of their collision sent Clark flying away from the dam, making a huge hole in the outer wall of the facility. Making another huge hole in the outer wall, Bizarro Clark then flew after his enemy, his face changing to a gray steel-like and deformed form as he smiled triumphantly.

-º-

The water was covering more than half of the facility, Lois managing to avoid only by flying. The walls and ceiling were all crumbling. The place was about to come down.

She needed to get out of there. On her way, she also grabbed the soldier she had knocked unconscious, pulling him and Wes's body over her shoulders.

What she didn't count, though, was to find someone else there. "Lionel," she gasped as she saw his unconscious body being carried away by the water.

She grabbed him, holding his body in her arms. It was quite difficult to carry three men at same time, even with her strength.

Lois used her heat vision to vaporize the water and clear the way. Her hands were full at the moment, but she needed to check if there was somebody else in the facility. So she used her super hearing. Someone… A kid was crying.

She flew faster toward the sound. She approached the place, surprised to find the water hadn't taken over it. She placed down the three men she was carrying. She saw a door, stepping closer to it. Lois watched terrified as she saw through the window the several bodies Lex was using for his project floating in the water beyond. She couldn't help but feel guilty that she couldn't help them. Or at least returning their bodies to their families.

Lois suddenly felt a hand touching hers. She turned around.

"Help me, please," the little boy, the one that was used by the phantom, said.

Lois got down on her knees, smiling at him. "Hey, it's okay. I'll get us out of here. Just promise you won't tell anyone what you're about to see, alright?"

The boy nodded.

-º-

At the bridge leading to the facility, Lex watched locked inside the police car the police officers running away as the dam crumbled. Water came through, engulfing the bridge and everything in the way, including the car Lex was in.

Was it the end for Lex?

-º-

Clark was thrown against a tree miles away from the dam, tearing the roots out of the ground. He got up, looking for Bizarro.

The man he was looking for then appeared in the sky, landing in front of Clark next.

"Those people. I have to get back to the dam," Clark said.

Bizarro kicked him, sending him flying the forest floor and into a huge boulder, breaking it. "Hey, Clark. You ever wonder what would happen to all these humans if you weren't here to play savior? I know you do. You just never admit it."

Clark got up and wiped the blood on his mouth with his hand. "You don't know anything about me."

Bizarro moved closer. "No, Clark. I know everything about you. I didn't just borrow your DNA. I have all your memories, all your thoughts, every last twisted one of them. When I'm living your life, I won't make those same mistakes."

The sunlight revealed the true form of Bizarro's face. He motioned to punch his opponent, but Clark stopped it with his arm, punching him instead. The hit was strong enough to send Bizarro flying towards an electrical network miles away.

He knew Bizarro wasn't defeat yet, but there was someplace else he needed to be.

-º-

At the bottom of the river, Lex was trapped inside of the police car, trying to break free with his handcuffed hands, in vain. The water was almost filling the car, becoming harder and harder for him to breath.

Practically giving up once the water filled the car, he looked up. He looked mesmerized at the angelical figure of a woman floating above him. She had blonde hair and was wearing a short white dress. It was fascinating to watch.

It wasn't a bad way to die, he thought, as he closed his eyes.

-º-

A father, a son, and their dog were fishing in a river, upstream from Reeves Dam, oblivious to the destruction near them. It was when the dog barked, they realized something was wrong.

The kid looked at the dog. "Hey, buddy?" He frowned. "Dad?"

The father looked ahead, watching terrified as a huge torrent of water was coming in their way. He grabbed his son. "Run! C'mon, son!"

They started to run, but the father tripped and hit his head on a large rock, dropping down unconscious.

The little boy got down on his knees, shaking his father. "Dad! Dad! Wake up! Dad! Dad, wake up! Dad! Dad!" He yelled, desperate.

Back at the dam, Lois was leaving with the four men, ready to take the three alive to the hospital and bury Wes, so he could finally rest in peace. She then saw the torrent of water destroying everything in its way.

She was about to fly toward it when she realized the water stopped moving and started to heat. She looked ahead, knowing exactly who was doing it. She smiled, proudly.

Clark, always the hero.

Lois then flew away with her passengers.

Clark finished vaporizing the water running toward the family. The boy looked amazed at it. Clark gave him a smile and then superspeeded away.

-º-

Bizarro went to the farm. He wasn't at full strength, and the sun actually did the opposite of what it did to Clark, it weakened him. He had come to the place he knew there was the thing that could give him power, kryptonite.

He headed to the loft, where Clark kept the lead box with kryptonite. Bizarro opened it, his body still shaking with pain because of the metal that perforated the sides of his torso after Clark threw him on the electrical network.

He ripped the T-shirt out of his body and positioned himself in front of the mirror. But as he was about to heal himself, a voice called the owner of the place.

"Clark?"

Bizarro recognized the voice right away. Clark's girlfriend, Lois. Or maybe not so girlfriend, his memories weren't so clear about that.

"Smallville? Are you there?" Lois called.

She had taken all three men she was with to the hospital, and fortunately they were all fine. The boy had just a few small scratches, the guard woke up right away, while Lionel wouldn't be up for hours, but no severe injuries were found in his body.

Wes's body was still with her. It wasn't exactly her plan to carry a dead body around, but she couldn't trust it with the hospital or the cops either. She placed his body carefully on a corner of the barn.

Now it was time to deal with another matter.

She climbed the stairs to the loft, where she found who she thought was Clark. She smiled at him. Bizarro put his hand with the kryptonite behind his back. "Hey…" She then realized the wounds on his bare torso. "What happened?" She asked, worried. She stepped closer.

Bizarro gulped, careful not to giveaway who he was. "Just a fight with the last phantom. It's over now."

"Oh," Lois sounded surprised. "I-I'm sorry I wasn't there to help you," she told him, feeling guilty because of her detachment from him this past week.

"No problem. The guy was no match for me," Bizarro smiled, cockily.

Lois gave another step forward. "No, I mean it. I missed you." Tears started to form on her eyes. "I missed you so much."

Bizarro raised an eyebrow, studying her.

"I did want to call you. Every day. I just… Uh… I didn't know what to say to you. The proposal… I wasn't expecting it." She sighed. "I don't know. I guess I never really stopped to picture me marrying someday."

Bizarro remembered Clark proposing. He realized it was the thing coming between their relationship. Stupid, both of them, he thought. He decided he'd have fun with it. "Do you love me?"

"You know I do."

"Do you want to be with me?"

She nodded.

"Then what's stopping you from saying 'yes?'"

She blinked in surprise. She hadn't expecting him to be so direct. "Well, we're kind of young…"

Bizarro grew bored. "We're also two super powered good-looking aliens who defy anything possible in this planet."

She looked puzzled. "Are you on red kryptonite on something?"

He chuckled. He then came face-to-face with her, looking deep in her eyes. "What do you think?"

She studied his eyes. "There's something different about you."

He smiled and then crashed his lips on her, wrapping one arm around her. Lois kept her eyes open during the kiss, not managing to fully give in to it.

His lips tasted like Clark, it had some of his passion, but it lacked completely his love.

Unfortunately for her, there wasn't much time to understand it as a sharp pain hit her. She felt something perforating her chest. She started to spitted blood as it hit her heart.

Lois looked down, seeing it was kryptonite. She looked at the man in front of her, completely confused by his action.

Bizarro had a devil smile on his lips. "Believe me when I say this, I didn't want to do this. In fact, I'd love to taste more of those delicious lips of yours. But I can't risk letting you live."

Lois fell on her knees. Bizarro pushed the rock further inside her. A tiny tear fell from her eye as she fell on the floor.

-º-

Clark had looked for Lionel everywhere. No sign of him. He refused to believe the man was dead, but the odds were against him at this point.

He released the breath he was holding. What a terrible day. He felt like he was going to break down at any minute. And he still had to tell Chloe about Lana, that is if she didn't know already.

Most importantly, he had to find Bizarro before he hurt anyone.

Clark entered the barn. He had his head down, pensive, as he climbed the stairs. When he looked ahead, however, he realized the worst part of his day was still to come.

His eyes opened widely, his body started trembling. He looked terrified at the image in front of him. In the cross position, Lois was tied at the large window of the loft, her chest and mouth bleeding. A big "S" mark was burnt in her chest.


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

Clark couldn't believe what he was seeing. This couldn't be happening. "No, no, no. Lois…"

He ran to free her, but getting closer to her brought to him a very familiar pain, making him gasp. Clark gave a step back looked at the hole in her chest, seeing for the first time a green sparkle. He breathed hard as he realized it was kryptonite.

He moved closer, damning the consequences. Struggling to keep on his feet and to breath, he was now face to face with her. His shaking hand finally reached the wound. As he tried to take the piece of rock out of her, his veins started to twitch and to lose its color. More blood started to come out of her wound. "I-I'm sor… Sorry. You'll be… You'll be fine. I-I promise." he said, his voice uneven.

Clark coughed, the proximity with kryptonite killing almost all of his strength. He was having difficulty to pull the piece off her. When he finally took it out, he dropped it immediately on the floor, falling on his knees next. He was breathing heavily.

He looked up, nothing had changed to Lois. He then looked at the kryptonite on the floor, realizing it was just a tiny piece of the green rock. He knitted his brows in worry. "No…" Tears started to form on his eyes.

He held on the wood of the window to stand up. Even with his vision blurred, he looked carefully at her wound, managing to see a couple of other pieces of the broken rock.

Clark could barely stand on his feet, so he stepped back, trying to recover himself. He took deep breaths. He then used his heat vision to free her from the ropes holding her. But as he ran to her in time to catch her body before it hit the floor, the kryptonite inside her weakened him, making him fall with Lois in his arms.

He gasped in pain. But this wasn't the biggest one he was feeling at that moment on the floor. It was having her immobile body over his. Cold. No signs of breathing.

Tears started to fall from his eyes. "Please, no."

Desperate, Clark used all the strength he had and didn't have to roll Lois on her back. He kept lying on the floor, breathless, trying not to break down.

Even feeling dizzy, Clark managed to position himself over Lois. Due to the closeness to the kryptonite, sweat started to cover his face and his stomach started to ache. He tried to take other pieces of kryptonite out of her, but his shaking hand wasn't helping him. "Damn. I can fail you."

But his body couldn't take it anymore. Clark quickly started to lose conscience, his body falling on hers, her name being the last words coming from his mouth, in a sobbing whisper.

-º-

Lex was lying on the riverbank when he woke up. Dizzy and coughing water, he looked as a shadow covered his bald head. There she was, the woman he had saw in the water before passing out.

His guardian angel.

There was shadow over her face, but he had a glimpse of her beauty. Unfortunately for Lex, as he looked down, turning his eyes away from the sunlight, the blonde woman flew away.

When he looked up again, he watched confused and stunned she flying around in the sky.

-º-

"Clark? Clark?" Chloe called as she entered the barn. Her expression was one of sadness and her eyes were red and puffy. She had been crying since she received the news of Lana's death.

She climbed the stairs, still calling for him. Reaching the end of it, she stopped on her tracks. A frown took over her features.

"Clark? Lois?" Chloe called worried as she eyed both of them lying on the floor. She walked slowly to them. "Guys?"

She took a deep breath before getting down. She shook her friend's body slightly. "Clark? Clark?" Her heart was palpitating, fearing the worst. She grabbed his shoulder with both hands and rolled him onto his back.

Her eyes opened widely as she saw blood on his shirt. However, it was when she looked at Lois and saw the wound in her chest that she felt her heart pounding out of her chest. She approached her cousin's body. "Lois! Oh my God, what happened to you?"

Chloe fight back the tears, trying to focus in what she could do to help her cousin. She then caught sight of a green glow. "Kryptonite…" She whispered to herself.

Chloe looked at her side, realizing it was the thing affecting Clark. She quickly stood up and grabbed his arm, dragging him away from Lois. She then ran back to her cousin's side.

She supported Lois's head on her lap, her cousin's pale face sending chills down her spine. She wouldn't accept Lois was gone. She couldn't. The blonde looked around searching for something to take the kryptonite out of Lois, but her eyes caught nothing. She hadn't much time left, so she decided to do it empty-handed.

Unfortunately for her, although her fingers were way smaller and thinner, she still couldn't reach the kryptonite deep in Lois's heart. She looked at her hand covered in blood and then back at Lois. Tears finally appeared on her eyes. "No…"

A few feet away from them, Clark started to wake up, dizzy. Then, remembering how he passed out, he quickly looked stood up, the fear rushing back into his mind and heart. "Lois!"

He stopped at the heartbreaking sight in front of him. Chloe holding onto Lois tightly, loud sobs coming from her.

"Come on, Lois. You're a fighter. Come on. Come on, Lois. Come on. You're the strongest girl I know," Chloe said to her cousin.

Clark averted his eyes, avoiding to breakdown along. "Chloe…" He hesitated. "I need to take Lois to Jor-El. He can help her," he said, not so sure of it. And that scared him.

But Chloe wasn't listening, she kept talking to Lois. "Come on! Please! You can't die. I can't lose you. I love you too much. Please."

As she kept crying, a tear reached her jawline. It then fell on Lois's forehead. Suddenly, a shiny white light started to appear on the spot where Chloe's tear fell.

Clark turned to look at them as the brightness grew exponentially around the two of them. "Chloe," he called, puzzled. "What's happening?"

He covered his eyes with his arm as the white light took over the room. He slowly lowered his arm once the light dissipated. His eyes then opened widely in shock at what he was saying. Chloe was also lying unconscious on the floor.

Clark ran to her side and held her, tapping her cheek lightly. "Chloe, wake up! Chloe!" he called, in vain. His friend was getting paler. "Chloe!"

Near them, there was Lois lying on the floor. Her body appeared to have the same lifeless look, however, something was happening. The wound in her chest started to heal abruptly. The tiny pieces of kryptonite popped up at the end of the nearly healed wound, leaving her body and dropping on the floor next. Then, the hole in her chest disappeared completely, like it had never been there.

Clark kept trying to wake up Chloe, fearful for her. "Come on, Chloe. This can't be happening." As he focused his super hearing on her vitals, another sound caught his attention. Louder. One that he could pick out without his powers.

His heart skipped a beat.

He jerked his head to the side and saw her. "Lois!" He said, a big, relieved smile forming on his lips. She was coughing. Clark placed Chloe carefully on the floor and moved toward her.

He stopped on his tracks, though, realizing the kryptonite around Lois. Clark used his heat vision to exterminate all the pieces, damning the thing that hurt the woman he loves.

He got down and held her. "Lois! Lois!" He called, hopeful.

Lois started to open her eyes slowly, Clark's face taking her visual field. Her eyes opened widely, fear in it. "Get off me! Get off me!" She yelled, hitting and pushing him away.

Clark looked confused. "Lois?"

Her expression then changed to one of anger.

He then realized it. "It's me, Lois. It's me!" He said with pleading eyes.

Lois looked fixed at him for a couple of seconds and then her face softened, a hint of a relieved smile appearing on her lips. Clark smiled back and hugged her tightly. "You're safe," he said, closing his eyes and taking comfort in her embrace.

She took comfort in his embrace, too, but her attention shifted when she looked at the side. "Chloe!" She shouted when she saw her cousin lying on the floor. Lois pulled away and ran to her side. "Oh, my God. What happened?"

"I'm not sure," Clark replied, a sad expression taking over again his features. "I think we should take her to a hospital."

Lois just nodded. She caressed her cousin's pale face, worried.

-º-

Clark and Lois were sitting at the waiting room. Chloe had entered the emergency room several minutes ago. Lois was looking downcast, pensive, after they told each other about what happened. He, meanwhile, kept looking at her, a tender expression on his face.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Lois asked, without turning to look at him.

"I almost lost you."

Lois turned to look at him, teary-eyed. "And now my cousin's life is in danger because she saved me."

"We're not sure of that."

"C'mon, Clark." Lois stood up. "She passes out and I heal after a shiny light? Sounds like typical Smallville stuff to me." She looked around and lowered her voice. "And we both know what Chloe is," she completed, reminding of her cousin's meteor infection."

Clark got up, too, and then placed his hands over hers. "Chloe will get through this. And whatever is happening to her… We'll work it out, alright?"

Lois nodded. "Right after I show my fists to a certain beautiful-looking phantom."

Clark gave her a half smile. They stared into each other's eyes, a visible longing when their hazel and blue eyes met. The moment was then interrupted by a woman's voice.

"Miss Lane?" a doctor called.

Lois turned to look at her. "Yes?" But as she looked at the doctor she saw in the woman's face she hadn't come to bring happy news.

Clark realized it, too. "What happened?" He asked, his voice low, uncertain of the need to hear what she was about to say.

The expression on the doctor's face saddened. "I'm sorry. We did everything we could –"

"No…" Lois shook her head in denial. Tears started to appear on her face.

"She didn't make it."

"No…" Lois broke down, her legs giving out.

Clark held her before she fell. He looked at the doctor, shocked, tears falling down his cheeks. She looked down.

"I'll give you some time alone," she said. "I'm sorry for your loss." She then left.

Lois had head buried into Clark's chest, crying endlessly. Clark hugged her tightly, his head resting over hers.

"She can't be dead. She can't be," Lois kept saying. "I need to see her." Lois pulled away and started to walk away.

Clark grabbed her arm. "Lois…"

She looked at him, seeing in his teary eyes he was as hurt as she was. "We have to do something, Clark. Take her to Jor-El or whatever. We have to do something."

"I'm afraid… I'm afraid that's not how it works."

"It worked for me!"

"It was a different situation…"

She shook her head, more tears falling from her eyes. "I was the one supposed to be dead. Not her. Not her."

Clark hugged her again. "No."

"It should be me," she whispered between sobs.

"Don't blame yourself. Please," he begged as he ran his hand up and down Lois's back. As he tried to calm her, his super hearing picked out her heartbeat. It was irregular, mirroring her uneven breathing.

Just like his.

His mind started to remember Chloe. The quick-witted way she spoke, her eyes full of curiosity, her smile. A smile so bright that it could fill the room with joy.

He could even hear her voice.

"Help! Help! Somebody help me!"

Clark's eyes widened, looking ahead. "Chloe?"

Lois looked at him, a puzzled look in her swollen eyes. "Clark?"

He pulled away from her and stepped forward, focusing his super hearing next.

"Help! Help! Please!"

Clark suddenly superspeeded away.

Lois blinked in surprise. She then followed him, stopping at the morgue. "Clark, what are…" She stopped at the loud sound coming from one of drawers of the morgue.

"Help!"

Lois frowned. Her heart beat quicker. "Chloe?"

Clark didn't wait anymore and opened the drawer and pulled it out, revealing a disoriented Chloe. "It's okay. It's okay," he tried to calm her down and relieved she was alive, at the same time.

"What hap…?"

"Chloe!" An overly happy Lois ran to her cousin's side and hugged her tightly. "Thank god." Tears of relief fell down her cheeks.

Chloe looked confused. She then took a look around. "Am I in a morgue?"

"Come on, let's get you out -" Clark tried to change the subject.

"Why I am in a morgue?" She asked, this time louder.

Clark and Lois exchanged a look. He then looked at the blonde. "You're alive. That's what matters now," he said.

Chloe looked down, realizing she had a toe tag. "But I wasn't alive, was I?"

There was a silence in the room. Clark then removed the toe tag.

"Lois…" Chloe looked at her cousin, remembering the last moments before she passed out.

"You saved me, Chlo," Lois told her, gratitude and guilt in her tone.

Chloe pondered it, the fears coming from Lois's implication taking over her mind. "Clark, turn around," she asked him as she got up.

Clark turned around. Covering herself with a sheet, Chloe started to walk to a more private area.

"Did it happen before?" Lois asked.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"A bright light came and you practically exchanged places with Lois," Clark told her.

Chloe dressed herself with a white coat. "How you can be sure it was me?" She said, getting defensive.

Lois approached her, concerned. "I know how you're feeling. We just wanna help you and try to make sense of all this."

"Guys, I don't have time for it right now. I gotta get out of here."

Clark looked at her. "Chloe, you just died and came back to life. Don't you think you should have your blood pressure taken?"

"And get turned into some sort of lab rat? From one guinea pig to another, I think I'll pass." She looked at the side and saw a chart. It was hers, her certificate of death. She yanked it off.

However, it was the one below hers that affected her more. Lana Luthor.

The reason she went to the farm in the first place. The pain of that news coming back all at once. She looked at Clark. "I was going to tell you…"

"Wha…?" Clark moved closer. He then saw it. He breathed hard, the same pain affecting him. "I already knew," he said, looking downcast.

Lois looked puzzled. "What are you guys talking –" She stopped at the sight of Lana's name on the death certificate. She looked at both of them, completely shocked. "Is… Is it true?"

Neither of the two of them said anything or looked back at her. It was all it took to confirm it.

-º-

At a jail cell, Lex's lawyer, a tall, black man, was showing him a mini-recorder with his last conversation with Lana.

" _You're right, I never stopped loving him. And even if I can't be with him again, you can be sure he means more to me than you ever will," Lana said. Then, there was a slap sound._ _"That's the last time you'll ever touch me."_

" _Do you really think I could just let you walk away?" Lex told her._

" _What are you going to do, Lex… Kill me?"_

Lex heard the tape with guilt in his eyes. His lawyer stopped it. "With evidence like that, I doubt we'd be able to get you bail," he said.

Lex had the opportunity to run away earlier, but decided to face trial. "I'm not worried about me. I want an update on the recovery efforts at the dam, and more specifically I need to know the status of model 503."

"Most of the compromised units have been recovered, but we're still looking for 503."

"My father?"

"Still on a hospital bed, recovering. Sir, we have to find you an alibi."

"I wasn't miraculously saved to run away from my demons, Keating. I was brought back to face them."

Bizarro suddenly showed up at the jail cell, ripping off the door. "Be careful what you wish for." After perforating Lois's heart, he went after kryptonite. Still hurt from his battle against Clark, he was getting weaker. The kryptonite in the barn was supposed to help him, but eliminating an enemy was a more immediate opportunity. "I looked for you at the mansion."

Lex stood up, alarmed. Bizarro walked in and stood in front of Keating and stuck his hand into the man's chest, and then ripped out his heart, tossing it aside next. "Huh. The second heart I break today," he said with a smug smile on his face.

"The phantom," Lex realized. "You took Clark's body."

"Just a few cells." Bizarro moved closer. "Clark's still alive. He's out there. And you will help me kill him. I need meteor rocks... A lot of them."

"I'd never help you kill Clark."

Bizarro looked unconvinced. "Lex, redemption doesn't suit you. Why protect a Clark Kent who hates you, when you can help the one who wants to be your ally? It's what you've always wanted. Isn't it, Lex?"

Lex just kept looking at the phantom, his eyes undecipherable.

-º-

Chloe was sitting in her apartment, crying as she watched a video of her and Lana on her laptop.

" _Chloe, put down the camera and look at the..." Lana spoke._

" _Whoa!"_

" _Chloe, the Empire State Building is just around the corner..."_

" _Ooh, ooh, let's follow him, Mr. Buns of Steel," Chloe said, between laughs._

" _Chloe, he's watching you now."_

" _Whoa!"_

Lois looked at Clark as he watched Chloe crying endlessly with the video. She could see him suffering as much as her cousin. Lois herself was feeling pretty sad. Despite the issues that separated both of them, mainly coming from the fact they both loved the same man, she still considered Lana a friend. But the feeling didn't compare to the other two. The man who up until months ago only had loved her and would always hold the memories dearly in his heart and the woman who considered her one of her best friends, practically like family.

Lois didn't know what to say or what to do. She felt so impotent.

" _Next time, we are taking a taxi..." Lana said. Both of them started to laugh._

Clark approached the blonde, trying to be strong. "Chloe?"

"Hey," she replied, finally distracted from the video. She couldn't control the tears. "Oh, it's really hard to concentrate when Lana was here one minute and now she's just..."

Words failed Clark. They looked at each other, bonding over a shared pain. Chloe then got up and put her arms around Clark. They took a moment and just held each other.

Lois watched them, hugging herself. Maybe that's the comfort they needed right now, each other.

"There's a lot more people that could get hurt right now," Clark spoke, pulling away. He averted his eyes.

"Yeah," Chloe collected herself. "Denial should be our friend right now." She went back to her laptop. "Okay, so, this phantom-Clark thing was inhabiting humans. But when he touched you, it just replicated. Why?"

"The phantom needed a Kryptonian body in order to replicate to become whole again."

"Considering the way he acted around me, I don't think he just want to be a replica of you, Smallville," Lois said.

Clark nodded. "He wants to take my life."

"Well, where's our Bizarro Clark now?" Chloe asked.

"I don't know. But, Chloe, before I hit him, his face distorted, almost like he was hurt."

"Which is why he pushed pause on his one-man mission to kill you. But... Why would your doppelganger weaken if you didn't?"

"It's like everything affects him the opposite. When Lionel held the meteor rock to him, it almost made him stronger."

"So maybe he went to find more meteor rocks so he could recharge and finish the job he started." Chloe started to type on her laptop.

Lois realized something. "Before he stuck that kryptonite into my heart, I remember he had wounds over his body. I think he was planning use the rock to heal before I got there. He must be really weak right now."

Clark followed her thoughts. "It's our chance to take him down. We have to get to him before he finds more kryptonite." He then remembered something. "You know, Oliver's been tracking all of Lex's meteor shipments for his 33.1 experiments."

"Yeah, and it says here in these records that there were several containers transferred to Reeves Dam just a couple weeks ago," Chloe checked on her computer. "If he gets there before you two do… How are you gonna take this guy down?"

Clark pondered it and then realization downed on him. "There is someone who might help us with that."

-º-

John Jones and Clark were standing in the loft of the barn. "When you left here, you were hurt pretty badly. How did you heal so fast?" Clark asked.

"I just had to leave the Earth's atmosphere. But in my absence, it appeared you did exactly what you were always trying to prevent."

Clark looked guilty. "I unleashed a carbon copy of myself... Only without my..."

"Humanity."

"What was I supposed to do, let him kill every host he inhabited?"

"That is one of the hardest trials you will face, Kal-El. While your humanity is your greatest strength, it is also your greatest vulnerability."

"Well, it's part of who I am. And it's who I want to be. I'm proud that I was raised to care about people, and I am not gonna apologize for it anymore," Clark told him, firmly.

"I know. But this creature was discarded at birth as a poor imitation. He was shown no compassion, no conscience. Therefore, he has none. He knows only one thing ... Survival."

"How do I stop someone who has all my powers and none of my weaknesses?"

By opening your eyes to what you take for granted every day," John Jones looked outside. Clark then headed to the window, also looking outside, the sunny light illuminating his body. "Your faith in humans is not the only thing that gives you strength."

"The yellow sun," Clark nodded. "That's why his face distorted when he got into the light."

"That may be the only way to defeat him. I can help, but it is your battle."

Clark turned around, a confident smile appearing on his lips. "It's not only my battle."

-º-

Lex and Bizarro were walking within the wrecked facility of the Reeves Dam. "The section of the dam where the meteor rock is stored shouldn't have been compromised," Lex said. They entered the room they were looking for. "The meteor rocks are in ther," Lex pointed towards a door.

As Bizarro walked towards it, Lex picked up a huge gun near him, pointing it at Bizarro next. "I may have tracked you around the globe, but clearly you're not a native. Where are you from, and why did you only replicate Clark?"

Bizarro looked at it with disdain. He then walked toward Lex. "Now you got a decision to make, Lex. What's more important... Destroying me or solving the mystery of Clark Kent?"

As Lex looked indecisive, Bizarro speeded around Lex. Lex turned aroung to point the gun back at him, but Bizarro grabbed the gun. "Wrong decision." He then hit Lex, throwing him against some metal piping attached to the wall.

Bizarro gave a smug smile and walked toward the door again, ripping it off. Clark arrived at that exactly moment. He checked on Lex who was lying unconscious on the floor. He watched stunned as Bizarro absorbed all of the kryptonite.

Bizarro turned around, a triumphant smile on his lips. "Did you enjoy the gift I left you back at the barn?"

Clark glared at him.

"She was so hot. Such a shame I couldn't show her what a real man is like, but I was in a hurry." He stepped forward. "You had the existence I could only dream of, every pleasure at your disposal, and you wasted it. You don't deserve this life, Clark. But I do."

Clark looked angrier, but kept still.

Bizarro called Clark for a fight with his hands. "Come on."

The side of Clark's lips curled into a smug smile. "There's nothing I would like more than to make you pay for what you've done, but there's someone else who called dibs."

Like a shooting star, Lois appeared behind Clark and flew toward a surprised Bizarro, landing into his face a powerful strike. She kept punching him over and over again, concentrating all of her rage in her fists.

Clark, meanwhile, speeded Lex away from there.

She threw more punches at Bizarro, sending him to the ground, blood all over his face. "Missed me?" She asked in a sarcastic tone.

He wiped the blood coming out of his nose with the back of his hand. "Maybe this time I'll give you a proper funeral, honey."

Clark returned.

"Where did you take Lexie?"

"Back to prison." Clark looked at the phantom getting up. "Need any help?"

"Nah. Just getting started." Lois then flew toward Bizarro again, ready to punch him again, but the bad guy blocked it. He grabbed her arm and threw her across the room.

"Lois!" Clark yelled. He jumped at superspeed to punch Bizarro, but was taken by surprise when his opponent, with both hands, hit his chest with everything, sending him flying backwards and crashing through a pillar in the other side of the room. The destruction left a hole in the ceiling.

"I expected more of a fight from you two. Well, actually, I expected Lois to be dead," Bizarro mocked. He then approached Clark. As he saw what looked like a defeated person on the ground, he smiled victorious and turned around, walking toward the spot where Lois was throw to. He was surprised, however, when he didn't saw Lois anywhere.

Clark slowly started to get up, the sunlight coming through the hole in the ceiling warming his body and soul. Healing his wound on the hand and then his wound in the face.

Bizarro turned to face Clark, angrier. "Where's she? What are you two planning?"

Clark gave him a cocky smile. "Are you afraid?"

The phantom came face-to-face with Clark, the sunlight revealing his grey steel-like, deformed form. He was serious, determined to end with the kryptonian's life. "You're no match for my strength."

Clark let Bizarro throw him one last punch. Because it didn't hurt anymore. Because the sun was protecting him. Because it felt good to be made of steel.

Filled with confidence, Clark looked at Bizarro, a stare sure of the resolution of this battle. For the first time, Bizarro lost his cool, feeling uneasy.

And, finally, Clark delivered a super powerful uppercut punch, sending Bizarro flying up into the sky. The phantom started to come apart, the interior of his body filled with the kryptonite he absorbed.

Lois appeared beneath him and grabbed him, escorting the phantom out into space and beyond to a prison made especially for him.

Back on the ground, Clark smiled proud of the teamwork and himself.

-º-

Clark and Lois were walking together within the limits of the farm.

"And Wes's body?" Clark asked.

"Properly buried in his grave," Lois told him.

"How are you feeling?"

"Happy that I could honor my friend's memory and that Lex's in jail, although not for the crime I expected." Lois then stopped. "We're here."

They were in the middle of a field. Clark looked around, puzzled. "Why we're here?"

"Doesn't this place remind you of anything?"

Clark looked around, still not getting it. "The farm?"

Lois sighed. "I was thinking in a little more action driven."

Clark frowned. He looked around again and then at her, realization downing on him. "Our first kiss," he said, a fond smile taking over his lips.

She nodded. "The moment our relationship changed for better." She then took a deep breath. "I know this is not the best time to bring it up, with Lana's death and the worry over Chloe's problems, but I… I…"

Clark grew anxious. "You what?"

"I feel like if I don't do it now, I won't ever get the chance to do it. Between me running away, coming back and getting stabbed, you getting busy with your kryptonian things, and Smallville being Smallville, we just didn't get the time to get into it." She took a box out of her jacket. "So pardon me to choose this moment to do it. I can't hold it back anymore."

Clark gasped.

Lois got down on one knee. "Clark Kent, you're the most amazing man I've ever know. You've made me grow, you've made me believe a crazy city girl could find happiness in the most weird small town, full of corn and ET stories. You made me more happy than I've ever been." She opened the box, revealing the diamond ring. "Smallville, will you marry me?"

Clark gave her a tender smile and placed his hand over the box. He then got down on his knees. "I was the one supposed to do that."

"Wha…?" Lois frowned. "Don't tell you're one of those guys."

Clark took the box out of her hand. "No. The way I proposed to you was wrong, I just want to make it right this time."

"You already know my answer…"

He ignored her remark. "Sometimes I don't know how to describe you. You can be bossy, rude, loud, irritating. But you can also be gentle, vulnerable, understanding. You're always strong, intuitive, sure of yourself. But you know the weirdest part? I like all of it in you."

Lois chuckled softly, getting emotional.

"I learned to love every bit of you, the good and the bad. I never overlook your flaws and, just like you, I embraced my own. That's the thing I learned from you, to embrace who I am despite the adversities. And you know who I am now? The guy madly in love with Lois Lane, who cannot promise life won't be crazy for them, but who can promise her he'll do everything he can to make her the happiest woman." He took a deep breath. "Will you marry me?"

She smiled widely, her eyes sparkling of happiness. "Yes. Yes, yes!" She threw herself at him, capturing his lips with hers.

They pulled away after a few seconds so Clark could put the ring on Lois's finger. As they kissed again they lost balance and fell, Clark lying on top of her. They laughed, pure joy in it.

Clark gazed into Lois's eyes. "Does this remind you of anything?" He asked.

"Mmm. I think I'll need help with that."

Clark gave her a smile and then landed a passionate kiss on her lips. It was as full of love just like the first one, probably even more, but the realization was the same. From this moment on, they were entering a new chapter in their lives.

Up in the sky, watching them, there was Martian Manhunter. A man who long ago had lost a wife and a daughter, but who found comfort in the happiness of another last survivor of an extinct civilization. "You're definitely not alone, Kal-El," he spoke, a genuine smile on his lips.

At the Smallville water tower, the blonde woman who had saved Lex sat atop of it. She looked at a bracelet, hoping she could find what she was looking for. She got up, determination in her eyes, and then she flew up, up, and away!


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27**

Lois was lying on the bed, left arm extended in the air. She was admiring the ring on her finger with a big smile on her face. Lois Lane, arm brat getting all girly about an engagement ring. She chuckled, wishing she could this moment of happiness with her past self.

Clark was next to her, lying on his stomach, sleeping. Or so she thought. "I wish I could've bought you one."

Lois looked at her side to see Clark gazing at her, half of his face buried deep into the pillow. She smiled at him. "Are you kidding me? I loved that you made it for me," she said, placing her other hand around the ring finger.

"No," he shook his head. "You deserve one made by a professional jeweler. A beautiful and well-crafted ring made especially for you," he grabbed her left hand and brought it close to his lips, kissing the back of it.

Lois blushed. "I'm not sure I really deserve it. I mean, the way I left things between us last week…" She said, a guilty expression on her face.

"Lois, no… You need some time alone and I understood that. I really did, even if part of me wanted you here with me, like we are right now."

"I've missed you."

"No more than I did. I had to control myself or else I'd fly to Geneva and beg you to come back."

She chuckled. "You probably wouldn't be able to recognize me in the middle of a crowd," she told him, pointing to her hair with her eyes.

"Lois, you could have a bag over your bag and I'd still know it's you." He started to stroke her hair. "You look amazing."

"My hair isn't the only thing that has changed about me, you know?"

Clark looked puzzled. "How so?"

"Those recent savings we've been doing, Lex's plots to take over the world... I've been thinking about all of it. I don't want to wait something to happen to react. I want to be out there, using these powers and do good. Not just here and there. I want to do it every day."

Clark just grinned.

Lois looked puzzled. "What?"

"I've been thinking the same thing."

She was surprised. "Really?"

He nodded. "I think I'm finally ready to be what my father wanted me to be."

Lois smiled widely. "So, this is it? Are we really going to fight crime together?"

"More than just fight, actually."

"Huh?"

"I love this farm, working around it. I feel comforted, at ease here. But I also know there's more for me outside the farm, of Smallville."

"What are you saying, Clark?"

"I've talked to Chloe and if everything works out the way we hope, I'll be joining the Daily Planet's fall internship program. Looks like bed and heroics aren't the only thing we'll be sharing, Miss Lane."

She smiled widely and jumped on top of him, tasking his lips in hers. "Nothing will stop Mr. and Mrs. Kent."

He chuckled, nodding. "Uh-huh."

They kissed again, their hands sliding into each other's shirts as the heat increased.

At that moment, Shelby entered the room and jumped on the bed, barking and wagging. Clark and Lois pulled away and looked at him.

"What's wrong, Shelz?" Lois asked, amused.

The dog went to Clark's side, quickly being petted on the head. "He misses my mom. He's used to wake up when she'd wake up."

"Aww." She petted the dog, too. She then looked at Clark. "We should eat something before we go back to my apartment and pack my stuffs," she told him as she got up and started to leave.

Clark got up, too, and hugged her from behind. "It'll be great living together, I promise."

"I'll only believe it when you bring me breakfast in bed," she smirked.

"You got it," he kissed her on the cheek. They walked out of the bedroom cuddling and chuckling, followed by a happy Shelby.

-º-

"Of course you can count on me to do help you, Mrs. Whistle. I know, me too. Bye," Chloe said on the telephone, hanging up next. Her eyes showed sadness as she tried to fight back tears.

Lois and Clark entered the apartment. She was quick to note her cousin's expression. "Chloe, are you okay?"

Chloe nodded, uncertain. "I was just talking to Nell on the phone. She asked my help to prepare Lana's funeral."

"How is she?" Clark asked, concerned.

"Devastated." Chloe breathed hard. "She kept crying over the phone and I did my best to hold myself and not to cry, too. It was horrible."

Clark sat beside her on the couch and put his around her, running his hand up and down her arm.

"I still can't believe she's gone," Chloe said.

"I know," he agreed.

"When's the funeral?" Lois asked.

"Nell's thinking sometime around next week is probably the best date."

"If you need help for anything, we're here at your disposal," the brunette said.

Chloe nodded. She then cleared her throat. "You didn't return home last night. I assume you two made up?"

Clark and Lois looked at other, love in their eyes and a knowing smile playing on their lips. "More than that, actually," Lois started, lifting her hand near her face, the diamond on the ring shining.

Chloe opened her eyes widely. "Oh, my God!" She got up and hugged her cousin, with a wide smile on her lips. "I'm so happy for you both!"

"Well, you better be. I want my maid of honor to have the biggest smile at my wedding."

Chloe pulled away and look at her. "Really?"

"And Jimmy as my best man," Clark spoke.

"If you want to, of course. No pressure," Lois added, smirking.

"Of course I want! And I know Jimmy will love to. You know he's crazy about you guys."

Lois grinned. "Okay, then. First maid of honor task, help me pack."

The blonde was taken by surprise. "What?"

"I'm moving into the farm."

"Already?"

"It kinda comes with the whole marriage deal, Chloe," Clark said.

"Plus, since Mrs. K left, Smallville is feeling very lonely at that big farm," Lois teased, to Clark's annoyance.

Chloe nodded, giving a half smile. "Yeah, I get it. It just took me by surprise, that's all."

"Alright, you two get started and I'll grab some coffee for us," Clark spoke.

The cousins nodded and Clark left. Lois then turned to look at Chloe. "Are you okay?"

"C'mon, Lois, I'm gonna miss being you're roommate, but you definitely should live with your fiancé."

"I'm not talking about that."

Chloe looked at her, startled. She then averted her eyes and started to walk toward the bedroom. "I don't wanna talk about it."

Lois walked behind her. "You don't think I know all the stages? Shock, denial, despair. I've been there, remember?"

The blonde opened the closet and started to grab Lois's clothes, throwing them at the bed. "It was different. You joined the kryptonian clan while I'm just a regular Smallville's meteor freak."

"Tomato, tomahto." Lois grabbed her arm and made Chloe look at her. "You're changing, just like I did. You're scared, just like I was."

Chloe sighed, her walls finally coming down. "I don't know what to do, Lois. You heard this town's meteor freaks stories. You've seen some. You know what happened to my mother. I don't wanna end up like that."

"We won't let it happen to you."

"What about the next time I use my power? Do I wake up from that?" Chloe said, teary-eyed.

"Chlo." Lois hugged her. "I get your frustration, okay? I wish I could make it disappear, but I can't. That doesn't mean we won't try to find a cure. All I ask is for you not to try anything dangerous. Be a little patient, please."

"It's hard. I feel like a time-bomb machine right now."

"I know," Lois said, running her hand up and down Chloe's back.

After a few more seconds, they pulled away. Chloe released the breath she was holding, calming herself. "We should go back to your packing."

Lois nodded, giving her a warm smiling.

"When do you plan to go back to the Planet? Bailey has been asking you like crazy."

"Tomorrow."

"He's pretty pissed."

The brunette shrugged. "Don't worry, I wrote a couple of fluffy pieces that he'll love."

Chloe chuckled. "Always the handful."

"You know it," Lois told her, smiling widely.

-º-

"How about an eye mask?" Lois asked. She and Clark were at the loft trying to decide what their costumes will look like.

Clark made a face. "I'm not a big fan of masks."

Lois curved in front of him, who was sitting on the couch, putting her hands on his legs. "Here's the thing, pouty boy, unless you don't mind getting Clark Kent's face printed around all over the world, you'll have to."

Clark sighed and got up, walking towards the window. "That gotta be another way. Masks are uncomfortable, unreliable."

Lois crossed her arms. "It's useful."

Clark looked at her. "My father, Raya, they talked about me being a symbol of hope for Earth, being its savior, but I don't know if I can be it if my face is covered, hiding who I am."

"Okay, then, let's take a moment to think about that. You show up as hero, no mask on. Someone recognizes you, spread to the world Clark Kent's this new hero. First, the media comes. Goodbye privacy. Then, the government takes notice. Your mother, senator for Kansas, have to answer for whatever they might question. Goodbye peace. Then, there' the bad guys -"

"Stop!" Clark sighed. "I know all that already. I never suggested going out in the open like that. I just… I don't know. What do you have in mind for yourself?"

"Well, I am thinking in using an eye mask. I'll probably let my hair loose when I go patrolling, whereas I'll let it tied up when I'm at work. Maybe put on glasses."

Clark raised an eyebrow. "Glasses?"

"Yeah, you know, I think it's a good way to take focus off my eyes. Maybe even making me look older and –" She saw her fiancé deep in thought. "Clark?"

Her voice snapped him out of his thought. "Maybe that's exactly what I need."

She looked puzzled. "What?"

"The glasses on me, Clark Kent."

Lois looked confused. "Yeah, it can be of use, but you'd still need the mask."

"No, Lois. I'm talking about Clark Kent being the mask."

"I'm not following…"

"I'm talking about changing myself around those that knows and doesn't know me. Change the way I look with the glasses, perhaps the hair. Change the way I walk, the way I talk."

"Would people believe that? Could you pull that off? I've seen you pretending, Smallville, you're not very good at this."

"I think I can," he said, firmly. "Look, before you knew me, before I managed to be in the football team, I was viewed as this shy, clumsy kid. I'd never tripped in my life, the only times it happened was when I was around Lana. I'd only find out it was because her kryptonite necklace years later. She was the popular girl, which meant every eye was on me and my falls. I think I can go back to that."

Lois looked skeptical. "Most of the residents of this town know you. It's a lot to pull off. You're sure you wanna do this?"

Clark nodded, confident. "I want to people to be able to see that I'm being honest, sincere. To have someone to trust, to believe in. I feel like I'll only manage that if there's no mask or tricks from me."

"That sounds great and all, but it's not something all of us can do. Clark, I'm a four stars general's daughter, I grew up on a base. There's no way I can put my face out there with no mask on and get away with it."

"Sorry. I didn't mean to –"

"It's okay." Lois took a breath. "Looks like we have different approach to our dual lives."

Clark gave her a tight-lipped smile. "Is that a bad thing?"

"I don't know. I must confess I kinda pictured us with matching costumes," she chuckled as she said it.

Clark chuckled, too, and moved closer to her. "Speaking of, any ideas for our costumes?"

She knitted her brows and bit her lower lip. "I tried to think in anything, but got nothing. Well, not exactly. I did think about getting a jacket like the guys."

"What about the Stiletto costume?"

"Retired. I need something more colorful, and less, uh, uncomfortable."

"I wouldn't mind wearing a jacket."

"Of course you wouldn't," she said, teasingly. "You hate costume. The most yours resemble regular clothes, the better it's for you."

Clark shrugged.

"Too bad for you, 'cause I'm in charge." She placed a hand on his chest. "I'll put this glorious body of yours to good use."

Clark swallowed hard.

Lois giggled. She went to the desk where there was a bunch of papers. "I just need to gather all I have in mind and try to come up with something."

"Lois."

She turned around to look at him. "What?"

"Do you have any experience with tailoring?"

"Oh. Uh… No."

"Then I think we need help on this one."

-º-

The next day, Lois was landing with her father in her arms on the Kent farm. He looked unsettled. "Are you okay, daddy?"

"It's not common of a young woman to carry his old man through the skies."

Lois averted her eyes. "I'm not normal anymore."

"When did you ever was?"

Lois looked back at her father, seeing the smirk on his lips. She chuckled, also blushing at her father joking. She was not used to that. "Let's get in, everyone's waiting."

They entered the house. In the living room, there was Clark, Chloe, Martha, and Lionel. Sam quickly greeted them before sitting down, while Lois stood beside Clark.

"Now that Miss Lane has arrived, could you please tell us what it's about, son?" Lionel spoke.

Clark and Lois looked at each other, taking reassurance in each other's eyes. "The reason we called you all here is that we have something to tell you," Lois started.

"Lois and I had feel, for quite some time now, that we could do more with our abilities," Clark added. He could sense his soon-to-be father-in-law's questioning eyes on him. "We decided it's time to step in and be a force of good for this planet."

Martha looked confused. "What does it mean exactly, honey?"

"We'll be out there, patrolling and protecting the world from robberies, natural disasters, alien invasions. To put it mildly, we're gonna be super-heroes," Lois said, a wide smile spreading on her face.

Everyone's face, except for Chloe who had been told the previous day, had a mix of surprise and hesitation.

Martha was the one to break the silence. She got up and moved closer to them. "Are you sure you two want to make this kind of compromise? Please, don't misunderstand me, what you're planning to do is very noble, it's just… You're going to put yourselves in danger every day. Your lives won't be same once you do it."

Clark held her hand. "Mom, we know the risks. That's why we didn't do anything before we told you all about it. We know what we're about to do causes implications in your job and the general's."

Lois looked at her, realizing he was still processing the information.

"Oh, sweet, I'm not worried about my job. I just want to know if you're one hundred percent sure. If that's what you two want to do, then you have my full support."

"It is mom," Clark said. Martha smiled, proud of the strong determination she saw in his eyes.

"Can someone explain to me what's happening here?" Lionel asked, approaching them. "Miss Lane has meteor-infected abilities? Am I understanding it correct?"

"Not meteor related, Lionel. Kryptonian," Clark told him.

Lionel blinked in surprise.

"Jor-el conceded it to her as a mean to save her life after the airplane crash incident during the Dark Thursday. It was supposed to be temporary, but there was a complication and it became permanent."

"Why didn't you tell me about it before? I'm Jor-el's emissary, I coul –"

"I asked them not to, Lionel," Lois intervened. "I didn't trust you. I still don't. The only reason you're here now is because your so called connection to Jor-El."

"Miss Lane, I assure you, I'm not your enemy. I'm here to help."

"That's something you must prove, isn't it? And now the opportunity has presented itself."

"Clark, can I talk to you?" Sam approached his daughter's boyfriend. "In private."

Lois turned her head, looking worried. "Daddy."

Clark put a hand over his arm. "It's okay," he told her, nodding in reassurance.

Lois nodded back.

The two men left the room and headed to the barn.

Clark had his arms crossed, looking tense, while Sam worked out his thoughts. "So you are the reason all these changes have been happening to my daughter?" Sam spoke, irritated.

"Sir…"

"I should have known. Ever since she came to this town –"

"She has been happier than she ever was," Clark said, firmly.

Sam was taken by surprise by the dark haired man outburst.

"Sir, just let me explain it, please," Clark pleaded.

Sam was uncertain, but nodded anyway. "Back in the living room, you mentioned something like 'kryptonian.' What is that?"

"It's…" Clark took a deep breath. "It's related to my home planet. Krypton."

The older man's eyes opened widely.

"Before it was destroyed, my birth parents sent me here."

"Destroyed?"

"The core of the planet… It exploded. I was the only survivor, or so I thought until a couple of years ago."

"There is more of your race here?"

"No, not here. It's a long story."

Sam sighed. "This is insane. How did my daughter get into this?"

"It happened months ago. She… She was dying and my father… An A.I. construct my biological father made, he saved her. He gave her powers like mine so she could heal. He had no intention to change her forever, believe me."

Sam stared coldly at Clark, giving a step closer to him. "You know one of the first rules I learn at the base, Clark? Never trust blindly in one not of your own."

Clark swallowed hard, looking uncomfortable.

"For years, the authorities of this country have been debating whether we should form a defense plan against a possible alien invasion. Some defended the idea, but they were called crazy for those who were against it. To this day, there's speculation whether there's a secret plan or not." He pointed a finger at Clark's chest. "What you are, what you did to my daughter, directly or indirectly, is something that can turn this country, the world, in a living hell."

"I'm not your enemy, Sam!" Clark raised his voice. "I've been living on this planet my whole life as a human. I only found out who I was when I was in high school, in the most painful way. I always felt like an outsider, and the confirmation of it only made it worse. But not once I stopped loving this planet. This is where I was raised by two wonderful people. Where I had a father who I looked up to and a mother who cared and never once looked at me like I wasn't her own. This is the place where I fell in love with the most amazing woman. All I want to do is to help where I can!"

Sam's face softened, realizing the honesty in Clark's eyes. "And you think they'll trust you?"

"I don't know," Clark answered, sighing. "To be honest with you, Lois and I, we have no idea what it's really gonna be like. I mean, we do have an idea how we're going to do it, but it's totally an uncharted territory for us."

The older man recognized the fire burning inside of Clark. It took him back to the early days of his career, the excitement, the fear, the sureness it was the right thing to do. In a way, he started to see himself in Clark. From Earth or not, the man in front of him had dreams and fears just like any other regular person.

Sam put a hand over his shoulder. "Clark, considering you just managed to convince one of the most stubborn men this country has serving it, I'm sure you'll do fine," he said, giving him a reassuring smile. "I still have to get used to your alien heritage, but I can see you're a good man."

Clark was taken by surprise but quickly smiled back, shyly.

"If I may give you an advice, though…"

"Of course."

"Going to war, having to deal with the rush of battle, and the struggle to save lives. It made coming home and doing the simple things difficult. But you know it's funny, it's the simple things like taking a walk, or dancing with your wife, tucking in the kids... That makes us human. And don't get me wrong, I-I've loved serving our country, I even got to be a hero a couple times... But if I had to do it over again, I'd spend more time with the family."

"Thank you, sir. I promise you I'll keep that in mind."

Sam nodded his head and prepared to leave. "Sir," Clark called him. Sam turned to look back at him. "There's something I'd like to ask you."

The older man raised an eyebrow.

"I'd like to ask your permission to marry your daughter."

Sam looked somewhat amused. "Don't you think I gave you enough concession for a day, young man?"

Clark flexed his jaw. "Actually, I already proposed to Lois and she said yes," he said, making Sam blinked in surprise. "She hid the ring so we could tell you at the right moment."

"And you think this is the right moment?"

Clark gulped. "I-I…"

Sam sighed and then chuckled. "It's fine, Clark. What I said before, I stand by it. You're a good man and you make my Lo happy. That's what matters."

Clark's lips curled into a big toothy smile.

"But you know the consequence, you hurt her –"

"Not even in the worst of my nightmares. She's my world."

The two of them returned to the farmhouse. Lois looked apprehensive as she saw them entering the living room.

"Where's Lionel?" Clark asked.

"Left, pissed off as a bull when it sees a red sheet," Lois told him. "How did it go?" She asked, looking between Clark's serene expression and her father's always centered one.

Clark looked at Sam and then back at Lois, a little smile placed on his face. "Everything's fine. Your father and I came to an understanding."

Lois grinned, relieved. She jump in front of his father and hugged him. "Thank you for being okay with Clark's origin, daddy. It means a lot to me."

"Your fiancé had very convincing arguments."

Lois pulled back, staring at her father, her body tensed. "You…"

"Clark told me."

She looked at Clark, who had a reassuring smile on his face. She released the breath she was holding. "Thank god. No need to hide it anymore," she reached into her pocket and grabbed her engagement ring, putting it back on her finger.

Clark and Sam chuckled. Chloe and Martha watched amused the scene in front of them. Clark approached his mother. "Mom, I don't if Lois told you anything, but there's –"

"She did, sweetie. Of course I'll help with your costumes."

"Are you sure? I know how busy you are with your new job, I don't wanna get in the way of it."

"Shh. It's not a problem, I'm doing it."

"Okay, I've been gathering some analyses and I believe the best material to use in your suits is spandex," Chloe said as she approached them, carrying her laptop with her.

Clark looked doubtful. "Won't it feel really uncomfortable?"

"Perhaps at first, since you aren't used to it. But it has durability, flexibility. I actually have some models here on my computer."

Clark still didn't feel confident in it. Lois punched his arm and went to Chloe's side. "Let me see it."

On the screen, there were three male models and three female models of spandex based costumes, blue, red, and yellow. "Oh, I like this one," Lois said, pointing to the screen.

Clark joined her side and saw the model she was pointing to. "That's a lot of blue…"

"It's just a model, Clark," Chloe said, annoyed.

Martha and Sam joined them. "I think we can break it up with some other color," Martha spoke.

"Lois, you're not really thinking in flying around wearing it, are you?" Sam said, unsettled.

"What? It covers all my body," Lois argued.

"A decent woman shouldn't wear such a tight suit."

Lois glared at him. "Don't start, dad."

The older man looked at Clark searching for support but received a shrug instead.

Martha cleared her throat. "Are we settled on the blue costumes then?"

"Yes," Lois said.

"Guess so," Clark agreed.

"Let's not waste any more time, then." Martha and the others kept discussing about the details that the couple wanted to be included in their costumes.

Sam pulled Lois aside to talk to her. "What is it?" She asked.

"If you're so keen on doing this, I believe there's someone you need to talk to first," he said.

Lois sighed. "I know, daddy. I know."

-º-

"And that's how my life changed forever."

Lucy stared back at her sister, speechless. Lois had flown to Switzerland to tell her everything and she did. She was quite afraid of her sister's reaction, but as her father had reminded her, she couldn't postpone it anymore. They weren't as close as they should be, much to Lois disappointment, who loved her sister no matter the conflicts they had in the past. She just hoped Lucy felt the same way.

"Please, say something," Lois said.

"Is this some kind of joke?" Lucy spoke, incredulity and anger in her voice. "You didn't visit me once since I came back, we barely speak to each other, and now you travel all the way to Europe to tell me this insane story? What's the point you're trying to make?"

"It's true," Lois told her, firmly. "And I had every right not to talk to you before."

"I said I'm sorry, wasn't that enough?"

Lois shook her head in frustration. "A simple sorry doesn't cover the gravity of what you've done. You think you got away with it, don't you? But I know Lex Luthor a lot more than you, and I assure you, he's gonna collect it one day, especially from our father."

Lucy just stood there taking the hits. Tears started to appear on her eyes.

"But you know what hurt me the most? If you had stayed, if you had faced the consequences of what you did, I'd be there for you! I'd face our father for you! Instead, you left me feeling like I failed you and dad blaming me for failing you."

Lucy nodded, hurt. "I was always a burden for you."

"I didn't say that," Lois sighed. "Lucy, I didn't come here to fight. We shouldn't be fighting like that all the time."

"But we do. It's been our only way to talk to each other since we were kids," Lucy said.

"True." Lois moved closer. "We can start to change that, though. I want to change it."

"You really mean it?" Lucy asked, hopeful.

Lois stood in front of her, wiping the tears off her sister's cheeks with her thumb. "I've never been happier in my whole life and the only thing missing in it is to have you there. I want to remedy that."

Lucy smiled for the first time since her sister arrived and then hugged her. "Oh, Lois."

Lois hugged back, feeling like a huge piece of kryptonite had fell from her shoulders and disappeared into oblivion.

Lucy pulled away after several seconds, realizing the subject hanging in the air. She looked at Lois with a frowned expression. "Were you serious about that story?"

Lois gave her a slightly smile, grabbed her hand and led her to the window.

Lucy looked puzzled. "What?" She asked as she looked at the view outside.

"Close your eyes," Lois said.

"Why?"

"Just trust me."

Although still confused, Lucy closed her eyes. She then felt hands being placed on both her hips and then the wind blew stronger. Next thing she knew, everything went quiet.

Lucy opened her eyes slowly and saw her sister staring at her. Frowning, she then looked around and down, hit by the biggest surprise of her life. She looked at Lois with a stunned expression. "You… You…"

Lois nodded, happily.

"Oh, my God!" Lucy breathed hard. "I'm sorry I doubt you."

"It's okay."

Lucy kept looking around, amazed. "Lois, this is just unbelievable."

Lois chuckled. "I know. I guess that's the definition of my life now."

"What else can you do?" Lucy asked, excited.

"There's a lot for you to catch up on. Starting with serving as my bridesmaid at my wedding."

Lucy was taken by surprise. "What? You're getting married?"

Lois nodded.

Lucy smiled widely. "I'm so happy for you."

Lois smiled back. "Thanks. Sometimes it's hard to believe everything's working well for me."

"You deserve it."

Lois felt happiness fill her body and soul. For the first time since her mother died, she finally felt that three of them were a family again. And it felt good. "I love you, Lucy."

"I love you, too, Lo."

-º-

Clark entered the Fortress of Solitude. "Jor-El."

"Kal-El, you have returned," greeted the AI voice. "I expect you to have finally accepted your destiny and come to train e be prepared to fulfill it."

"I am," Clark replied.

"Well done, my –"

"But…" Clark interrupted Jor-El. "I'm not doing it in your way. I have a life outside this fortress, soon I'll be getting married and hopefully will start my own family. I can't be stuck here for I don't know how long while the world outside keeps moving."

"Kal-El, you must understand. The knowledge and understanding of your origins and powers requires your full attention."

"I know how important this training is. I can recognize that now. But I also lived my whole life without the guiding of this whole knowledge, with the help of my Earth parents. I want to embrace my heritage, but if we're not in agreement, I won't take the training."

There was a momentary silence before Jor-El spoke again. "What is your proposal, Kal-El?"

Clark released the breath he was holding. No matter how confident he sounded, there's always a part of him afraid of Jor-El's unpredictable reaction. "One week every month I'll be here full time. I'll be start working at the Daily Planet this fall, so we're probably gonna have to adjust this to periods of the days of the month."

"Your demand will prejudice your training."

"It's all of my time I can give to you."

Silence took over the place again. Clark grew anxious. "We will be starting by the end of the month. Be on time," said Jor-El, his voice cold as ever.

Clark nodded, happy and relieved. "I will."

"Kal-El, you mentioned you are to be married."

"Yes, I am."

"First lesson. As the head of the house of El, all life unions must be approved by me. I expect your mate to be brought here."

Clark smiled. "Okay. But you should know, you already know her. It's Lois Lane, the woman you saved months ago. I guess I had you to thank for that."

He doubted Jor-El felt anything, but if there was moment to an AI to feel surprised, that was definitely it.

-º-

"Nell looked devastated," Chloe said. She, alongside Clark and Lois were walking out of Lana's burial.

Clark just nodded.

"We can only hope she found peace away from Lex," Lois said.

Clark snorted at the mention of his enemy's name. "At least he's in jail."

"Do you guys believe he's gonna stay there?" Chloe asked, a worried expression appearing on her face.

"It's a Luthor. Expect anything," Lois replied.

"Let's hope it won't come to that," Clark said.

-º-

Clark stared at himself in the mirror. Could he get used to it?

"Nice ass," Lois spoke behind him.

Clark turned around to look at her. "You think so?" He asked, his hands placed over the symbol shield on his chest.

"Not this one, sweetie," she said, a cocky smile on her lips.

He blinked, taken by surprise. Lois just kept smiling. He then saw what she was wearing. "Wow. You… You look amazing."

They both put on the costumes Martha had made for them. The costumes were mostly matching, the general color being blue, but while Lois's was broken by a red belt – the middle in yellow -, Clark's had a yellow belt and red trunks attached to it. The shield on his chest, the same on hers, takes a diamond shape and has the House of El's crest in it, which on terms of Earth looks like a "S." Their looks finish with red boots that goes almost all the way to their knees.

Lois, who was wearing an eye mask, smiled brightly. "I know. I have the best mother-in-low."

"Yeah," Clark nodded, still uncomfortable.

Lois sighed. "Oh, c'mon, you look great, too. I hate to admit that, but all the women will devour you with the eyes. The men will wish they were you." She cupped her arm and bit her lower lip. "Just look at those muscles popping out…"

Clark gave her a look. "You're not helping."

"Alright, I made the last adjustments on your capes. That should attach it to your suits and not fall while you're flying," Martha said as she entered the room.

"Capes, yay!" Lois shouted.

Clark chuckled at that.

"Here, sweetie, try it on." Martha handed to him the cape.

Clark looked uncertain, but put attached it to his suit anyway. He turned to look at himself in the mirror, staring at his image for several seconds. There was something about the whole look getting to him. Unconsciously, the side of his lip curled into a slightly smile.

Lois noted it. "Is that a smile I am seeing?" She said, her head appearing over his shoulder.

Clark blinked. "What? No…" His voice, however, contradicted himself.

Lois wrapped her arms around him. "You think you can deceive me, Smallville? I can see the sparkle in your eyes." They both looked at the reflection in the mirror. "If feels right, doesn't it?"

"Yeah."

Martha smiled, proud. "Looks like you two are ready to come out the shadows." The couple turned around to look at her. "Have you decided on your names?"

Clark and Lois exchanged looks. "We have some ideas that revolve around the symbol on our chests," Lois said.

Martha nodded. Her expression then changed to a worried one. "What about Lex? He knows about Lois and he'll most likely find out about you, too, Clark. Now that he's free, he's really dangerous."

Clark sighed. "I think it's time to have the definitive talk with him."

Lois cleared her throat. "Actually, I think I should talk to him."

Martha and Clark looked at her with a frown on their faces. "What?" Clark said.

"I have to clear things after last time. I also think I can be more objective with Lex than you. No offense, Smallville."

"Lois, last time you almost killed him."

"I know, I know. I lost control. Now, I'm more focused, I'm just going there and lay all the cards on the table. Just trust me on this, please."

Clark just looked at her with uncertainty.

-º-

Lex was sitting in his living room drinking whisky and thinking about the latest events. He'd been over and over it, but there was something not fitting.

"Lex."

His thoughts were interrupted by the appearance of Lois. He looked unconcerned by her presence, even thought the last time they saw each other she was about to kill him. "Did you come here to finish the job?" He provoked.

"Can't say I hadn't thought about it, especially after what you did to Lana, but no."

Lex stood up. "I didn't kill Lana."

"Yeah, I heard it was another guy. A furious Luthorcorp's employee who claimed he got cancer from the chemicals down the tunnel-construction, isn't it? How convenient," she mocked.

"I didn't hire that man. I didn't –"

"I didn't come here to talk about this," a disgusted Lois said. "Or otherwise I'd say screw my morals and just end this pathetic life of yours."

Lex gulped, watching the hate in her eyes.

Lois couldn't stand be in the same room as Lex. "I'll make this quick. You know I have powers and you're probably ninety nine percent sure Clark has, too. First reveal of the day, he does."

The bald man's eyes opened widely. He didn't expect the revelation happening like that.

"Second reveal, we're not going to hide our powers anymore. We're going to be out there in matching costumes protecting people against the disasters and bad guys, like you. The only problem is you, who knows our faces, our families and friends. You could make our lives a living hell and ruin everything we have planned."

Lex was still absorbing the revelation, but looked focused enough on what she was saying. "I could add something to that, but I assume you already have a counter argument in mind."

She nodded. "You're right, rich boy." She grabbed some papers from her back pocket and handed it to him. Lex looked at it, confused. "Those are some files I stole from your lab at the Reeves Dam. Quite a number of lab rats you had there, huh?"

Lex stared back at her in shock. "This doesn't prove anything."

"I beg to differ. All those men were declared dead after some kind of explosion that unsurprisingly didn't leave any trace of their bodies. All it takes is to someone dig deeper and deeper and find out you've been doing."

"What do you intend to do with it?"

"Believe me, if I had certainty it would put in jail forever, I'd take it to the FBI in one instant. But if yours and Lionel's freedom proved anything, is that Luthors don't stay behind bars for so long. So here's my proposal, when we're flying out there, pretend you don't even know us, we're completely strangers to you, that way those papers don't fall in the right hands."

Lex raised an eyebrow at her. "Are you blackmailing me?"

"Call it whatever you want. I want to help people, but I know there are ones like you who will stand in the way of doing it and I'd rather do something about it than nothing."

"I wonder what Clark is going to think about it? He's pretty stiff on stuff like that."

"He'll understand," she said, firmly. "I'm not doing it for me, or even for him. We can protect ourselves from anything. I'm doing it for Martha, for my father and sister, for Chloe, for everyone who'll be at risk if the world finds out who we are. It's something you'd never understand."

His face was unreadable. "If you say so." He drank the last bit of his whisky. "You offer sounds fair," he said, extending his hand.

Lois looked at it with contempt. She then turned around and started to walk away. She stopped mid-way and looked at him. "It's not a truce. If I find out about any other wrongdoing, you're going to jail and we'll deal with the retaliation of your part. And give the soldiers used for the 33.1 a decent burial, or expect of a retaliation of my part on your billion dollars investments," she said as she glared at him.

She kept walking away, while Lex had a sad expression on his face. "Lois," he called.

She stopped and looked at him again.

"I didn't kill, Lana. I swear. I loved her."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night." With that, she left.

Lex was alone again in the valuable and warmed but dark and completely silent mansion, just staring blankly at the spot where Lois was and with her words echoing in his head.

-º-

In Shanghai, Lex entered an apartment. He walked in slowly, looking around. He stopped when he saw a woman across the corridor brushing her hair. He moved closer.

"I'm impressed," Lex said, unconcerned about the gun.

Lana stood up and took a couple of steps closer to him. "I did learn from the master. As soon as I heard you'd freed yourself, I laid out the breadcrumbs and waited for the wolf to come knocking. Tell me, Lex. How were you planning on getting your revenge?"

"Lana, if I wanted revenge, we wouldn't be having this conversation." He moved closer. "I've come here to beg for your forgiveness."

"With a gun pointed at your head, you'll say anything, won't you?"

"The things I did to you were beyond inexcusable. I don't blame you for wanting to ruin my life. I probably would have done the same thing... Only not as elegantly. I always knew you were smart, Lana. I didn't know you were brilliant... Using my own science against me."

"It wasn't science, Lex. It was your own psychosis. You cloned me."

"Not exactly. Model 503 was never alive. That's why you were able to wheel it out of my lab and place it in your driver's seat. By the time the car exploded, you were safe and sound while model 503, with your DNA, was being blown to bits. It was perfect. As far as the world's concerned, Lana Luthor is dead and buried."

"And a dead woman can't be convicted of murder. You'll never hurt another person again, Lex."

"I don't want to." He steps even closer to her.

"Don't come any closer."

Lex ran his chest into the muzzle of her gun. "I want to give you a better target. After all the pain I've put you through, I deserve to die. Please, Lana. Pull the trigger."

Lana was shaking.

He placed his hand over hers. "I promise you the world will be a better place. Do it. Kill me."

Lex's eyes looked sincere, his voice sound full of hate for himself, for what he became. Was that how he really felt?

Lana was tempted to pull the trigger, but at the time her entire body was shaking with uncertainty. She then gave up, trying to hold back the tears. She couldn't do it. Even with all the hate had for him at that moment, she couldn't do it.

Lex gently took the gun from her. He was truly feeling for her. "If you want to come back to Smallville, you'll be safe. I'll take care of everything. You can live your life however you want. I would never, ever hurt you again. I'm sorry, Lana," he told her, sincerely.

He then turns and walked away, setting the gun on a dresser in the room on the way. Lana watched him go, still trying to fight back the tears.

-º-

"New mysterious savings were reported last night in Metropolis. Since last week, reports all around the world had claimed those saving acts happening all around the world. Other sources even pointed to a couple of blurs as responsible for those," spoke a host of a newscast.

"Can you believe it?" A man walking down a street of Metropolis asked his friend at his side.

"In guardian angels? No way!"

In a car passing by, there was a mother and a son hearing the news on the radio. "It's cool, isn't it, mom?"

"I suppose, yes. Who knows what's true or false with this internet thing growing so fast."

"I bet it's Warrior Angel."

The mother chuckled. "Warrior Angel doesn't exist, sweetie."

A few miles away from there, at the downtown part of Metropolis, another subject was the center of the talk. There was a robbery happening in the biggest bank of that region. It was stimulated about fifty people takes as hostages by seven armed men.

"How's the communication line?" Detective Maggie Sawyer asked.

"They're refusing to negotiate or even talk," a cop said.

"They probably don't know what they're doing. My biggest fear is when they start to feel cornered, too much target in there," she said. "Try to talk to them again."

The cop nodded. Maggie went back to the front line, growing concerned.

A witness looked up, frowning. "What it that?"

Two other people looked up, too. "It's just birds, I think," one of them said.

"No, it's too big to be a bird. It looks like plans," the other said.

"Uh, plans don't make those movements," the first said. "Oh, my God! It's coming this way."

By the time the couple of shadow figures started to get close, everyone on the ground started to look up. They flew through them and entered the bank, leaving. Loud noises and even gun shots were heard inside.

"What the hell is happening in there?" Maggie asked to the crew. Everybody looked as confused as her. "Get your guns ready. We're going in," she yelled.

However, by the time she and her crew reached the door, a bunch of people ran out of the bank, scared and disconcerted. Maggie grabbed a woman's arm, stopping her. "What's happening in there?"

"They… They saved us."

Maggie released the woman's arm, who kept running from there. At that moment, two figures flew through the door holding the unconscious criminals. They dropped them on ground next to the police cars.

"Take good care of them," a costumed Lois said.

"Who are you?" Maggie asked, trying to get as close as possible to them.

"Friends," Clark replied, smiling at her.

They both then flew away as the stunned people watched it.

-º-

"Superman and Superwoman save the day!" Read the front page of the Daily Planet. Clark and Lois were in the middle of the sky looking at it.

"Too bad Chloe wasn't the one who wrote it," Lois said.

"It was a reveal in the middle of the day. The editor would hardly give it to someone as young as her."

"Well, at least she got to suggest the name I chose for us."

Clark knitted his brows. "I still think it's a little self-indulgent."

Lois shrugged. "It's just the truth."

He smiled and wrapped his arm around her. "Okay, then… Superwoman."

She wrapped her arm around his neck. "All yours, Superman."

They giggled and kissed. The moment was quickly interrupted when Clark pulled away.

Lois frowned. "What?"

"Gun shots."

Lois focused on her super hearing. She then looked in the same direction Clark was looking. Then, they flew to the place where the noise came from.

They arrived at the woods near the Reeves Dam. Reaching the place the sound was coming from, everything now went silent. Confusion hit them as they saw a trail of dark costumed soldiers and guns. Their eyes then flew open when they spotted a spaceship.

"What the…" Lois mouthed.

Clark's eyes went up as he saw a blond woman hovering over the ship. "Who are you? What you've done to those men?"

"They were trying to steal my stuff," the woman replied. "I suggest you and your girlfriend to get out of here and never come back."

"What if we don't?"

The woman didn't lose time and flew into Clark.

"Clark!" Lois yelled.

Clark was sent flying though the woods, the woman following him. He quickly got up, ready to fight her. She, however, stayed still, just staring at him.

"Why you're wearing this symbol?"

Clark looked confused. "What?"

"Why you're wearing this symbol?" She yelled this time.

Lois joined his side. "You're okay?"

"Why? Who are you?"

The woman got angrier. "Why are you wearing the House of El's family crest?"

Lois looked between them, puzzled.

Clark was at the woman's in less than a second and grabbed her arm, glaring at her. "Who are you?"

The woman tried to free herself, in vain. "My name is Kara Zor-El."

Clark let go of her, giving a step back. "El? You're kryptonian!?"

Things were starting to get clear. "Who are you?" The woman asked.

Clark was uncertain if he should reveal it to that woman, but there was something familiar about her. "My name is Kal-El."

Lois raised an eyebrow at him revealing his birth name like that.

The woman's eyes opened widely. "Kal-El? Son of Jor-El and Lara Lor-Van?"

Clark nodded, puzzled. "How do you know them?"

The woman smiled widely. "I'm your cousin."

Clark and Lois just stared back in shock at her.

 **The End**

EPILOGUE TO FOLLOW


	28. Chapter 28

**Sorry it took me so long to finish it. I just want to say thank you to everyone who has read, comment, and made suggestions as the story unfolded!**

 **Epilogue**

Lois looked at her reflection in the mirror. A smile was playing in her lips while her eyes sparkled in happiness. She hadn't actually imagined that trying on her wedding dress would bring this much fulfillment to her. It was all because the man in her life, she was sure.

"You look beautiful, Lois!" Kara said, behind her. Clark's cousin was living with the couple in the Kent farm. Their relationship started rocky, especially due to Kara's difficulty in adapt in this planet. But since then, they were able to work out their differences and amend their relationship.

Lois smiled. "Thanks."

"Kara is right, honey. You look stunning," Martha said as she made the final adjusts on the tale of the dress. She took a few days off from her Senator duties to help her future daughter-in-law with the wedding planning. "I can't believe this is the same dress I used on my own wedding so many years ago. The changes we made gave it a whole new form."

The brunette felt a bit of guilty. "Mrs. K… Are you really sure I can use your dress?"

"Lois, we've talked about this. I couldn't be more honored that you're getting married to my son using the same dress I wore when I get married to his father." She then moved closer to Lois and placed her hands on her shoulders, looking at her through the mirror. "Besides, you two are not exactly in a position to be spending money on a wedding dress. You just got promoted to full time reporter and Clark hasn't even started his internship."

A shy smirk started playing on Lois's lips. "It's a good thing my father offered to pay for our wedding. Probably with the money from my college savings and all the disappointments it brings."

Martha just chuckled.

Suddenly, Lois's super hearing picked a disturb sound in Metropolis. "I'm needed." She then turned around and started to run towards her bedroom.

"Lois!" Martha called, stopping her on her tracks. Lois turned around to look at the redhead. "The dress, honey. You need help to take it off."

Lois looked down, losing the momentum. "Oh." She then walked towards Martha. "Help me take it off fast, please."

Kara approached her, hesitantly. "Hm, Lois, let me help."

"What?" Lois looked at her, surprised. "Kara, we've agreed you were not to enter into the superhero game yet."

"No one will see me, I promise. Let me do it, please."

Lois wasn't sure. She looked at Martha, who simply smiled. She then sighed, looking back at Clark's cousin. "Okay. But only because this dress won't –" But Kara was out the house before she could finish the sentence. "… come out."

She looked back at Martha. The redhead shrugged. "Kara's a good girl," Martha spoke.

Lois nodded. "I know. And I don't like to control what can or cannot do, but she's been a stasis for twenty years. Clark and I don't know if she's ready yet."

Martha placed a hand on her arm. "Let these things happen naturally. I believe our mistakes are as important as our successes."

The brunette smiled. "I don't know how you do it. You always know what to say."

"It comes with time," Martha reassured her. "There's something I've been meaning to give to you."

Lois stared at her, curious. Martha reached her purse and took a box out of it, giving it to the brunette. "Really?" Lois looked surprised as she opened the box and saw a necklace.

"When I first came into this house, I was the city girl, and Jonathan's mom was..." Martha made a face. "Particular. I didn't think I'd ever measure up to everything she'd been for him his whole life. But on our wedding day, she gave me that necklace and said the thing she couldn't measure was Jonathan's happiness since he'd met me. I thought this could be your something old."

Lois grinned and hugged the woman she considered like a mother. "Thank you."

-º-

"Another day saved by Superwoman. The Metropolis's hero rescued the tiger Zoey, who had escaped the Metropolis Zoo this afternoon, causing terror in the streets," the anchorwoman spoke. "Questions arise as Superwoman's partner, Superman, hasn't been seen for a month. Our reporter Sara Atwell is at the Zoo to tell us more about the incident."

At that moment, Lois walked through the door fully dressed as Superwoman. Kara was at the living room watching the reportage. "If I'll have my suit damaged every time I rescue wild kitties from tree, I should learn how to sew," Lois said as she was cupped the torn part on her left shoulder.

"They're wondering where Kal-El is," Kara told her, pointing to the TV.

"If they're missing their male superhero they barely know, imagine the engaged woman who's been sleeping without her man in their large bed for a whole month," Lois ironized.

She was starting to head to her room to change when Kara got up and approached her, hands in her pockets. "Lois, uh… Lex came to talk to me again."

Lois raised an eyebrow. "What did he want this time?"

"He just wanted to talk. He told me he made mistake and that he's trying to start over, thanking me for giving him that chance."

Lois rolled her eyes. "Typical."

Kara averted her eyes. "He sounded sincere."

"And I'm sure it's the same thing Clark said to his parents years ago. Kara…" Lois waited for the blonde to look at her. "We've laid out to you all the bad things he has done. To Clark, to me, to Chloe, to our friends, and everyone else who stands in his way. I know that you're new here, so you want to get to know people, have your own friends, to fit in. I get that. But Lex Luthor doesn't do things without an ulterior reason and, although I hate to admit it, he knows how to be a charismatic guy to get what he wants."

Kara nodded, uncertain. "I suppose you're right."

At that moment, the front door opened. The women looked at that direction watching as a male figure appeared in front of them, wearing a small smile on his face as he saw them. "Clark!" Lois said as she ran to hug him, smiling from ear to ear.

Clark wrapped his arms around her tightly, closing his eyes as he takes comfort in his lover's embrace. Lois then kissed him, but before he could deepen it, she broke it and punched his shoulder, to his total confusion. "You told me you'd be training only for a week."

"Uh, I talked to Jor-El and… And since I'm about to start my internship at the Planet, I thought it'd be better to not absent myself from work in the first months. Se we agreed I'd stay a little longer. It was a last minute decision, I'm sorry."

"I was getting worried," Lois said, clutching to his jacket.

"I'm here now," he said, bowing his head. "I've missed you."

Their lips got closer, but before they could kiss each other again, Kara cleared her throat. Clark jerked his head and looked at her. "Oh. Kara, hi."

Kara was smiling, amused. "Hi."

"How's everything going?" Clark asked.

Kara looked at Lois before answering. "It's… It's fine."She then cleared her throat. "What did you do to the blue crystal?" She asked, reminding him of the crystal that Zor-El gave to her before sending her to Earth, which contained his and Lara's DNA, allowing clones of both of them to be made.

"Jor-El warned me about your father's plan, Kara. I had to destroy it. I'm sorry."

"I understand," Kara nodded, sadness evident on her face.

"I know how hard it was for you, too, Clark," Lois spoke. "It was your only possibility of seeing your biological mother again."

Clark averted his eyes. "It's okay. I did what it had to be done."

-º-

"Here it is, Mr. Bailey," Clark gave to his supervisor some papers as he adjusted his glasses.

Jason Bailey flipped through the papers. "Good work, Kent." He got up from his chair and started to head to the elevator, giving a pat on Clark's shoulder.

"T-thank you, Mr. Bailey," Clark said, shyly.

Lois and Chloe were observing from the copy room. "He was never that nice to me," Lois complained.

"Maybe because you weren't as dedicated?" Chloe smirked.

Lois scoffed.

Clark approached them, now more relaxed due to no other people in sight. "You're doing great, Smallville. The lack of eye contact, the shoulders down, the glasses tic. You're really pulling it off."

Clark smiled. "Did you talk to Chloe?"

Chloe frowned. "Talk about what about?"

"Oh, right. Chloe," Lois lowered her voice. "Clark and I have been talking and we think Superwoman and Superman should give you an exclusive interview. To settle in we're here to help and nothing more."

"Wouldn't people get suspicious?"

"We're not talking about having an interview right now," Clark said. "We thought you could start pushing pieces about our superhero activities and get your name associated with our superhero identities."

"Besides, you already have a few Green Arrow pieces under your pen. It wouldn't be far-fetched for you to become the voice of the superhero community," Lois completed.

Chloe looked doubtful. "I don't know guys. I appreciate the offer and the possible turning point in my career, but it'd feel like I was cheating."

"Look, Chlo, I know it's a grey area. We don't wanna fluffy pieces, either. We want someone to ask the right questions without manipulating what we're trying to say and do," Lois told her.

"But if you don't feel you can do it, that's okay. We understand," Clark assured his friend.

Chloe nodded, looking pensive. "Okay, I'll do it. For you, guys."

Both of them smiled. "Thanks. Get ready to become world famous," Lois said.

Jimmy entered the copy room with a boyish grin on his face. "Guys, guys! Guess what?"

"What's it, Jimmy?" Clark asked.

"I just got off the phone with a good friend of mine. He accepted to film the wedding for free!"

"Wow. That's very thoughtful of you, Jimmy," Clark spoke.

Chloe went to his side to hug him, while Lois put her arm around Clark. "We truly appreciate it, Jimbo."

Jimmy blushed. "It's nothing. You guys trusted me with your secret and asked me to be the best man at your wedding. I just wanted to reciprocate."

"Just keep being this great friend you are," Clark told him.

-º-

Clark was working at the farm when suddenly a big portal opened in mid-air. Clark covered his eyes with his arm as a strong light was coming out of the portal. As he slowly lowered his arm, a woman and a young boy appeared in front of him. His eyes opened widely. "Long time no see, Kal-El."

"Raya!" Clark ran to hug her, smiling hugely.

"It's good to see you again."

Clark looked at her, nodding. He then turned to his side, looking at the dark-haired boy around twelve-years old next to her. "And who would this one be?" Clark asked, bending down to look at him.

"That's Lar Gand of Daxam. But he likes to be called Mon-El, like the man who was one of the greatest heroes of Krypton's story." Clark looked at her. "I told him a lot of stories from Krypton. He became a immense fan of your ancestor."

Clark looked back at boy. "Mon-El, huh? I'm Clark Kent," Clark said, extending his hand.

Mon-El looked at Raya for reassurance, receiving a nod back. "Hi," he said, but not shaking Clark's hand.

"He's still learning English and Earth's culture," Raya told Clark.

The man nodded, retrieving his hand. He looked back at Raya. "You've been busy. What's the history?"

"A lot like yours. His planet got destroyed when he was five, but his parents managed to put him in a spaceship and send him to a safer place. But unlike you, he didn't find lovely parents in the planet he landed."

At that moment, Shelby ran to Clark side and started to sniff the shy boy, who didn't know what to do. Clark watched the scene with a tender expression.

He quickly turned his attention back to Raya. "The daxamistes are a race descended from kryptonian colonists. Kal-El, their planet was devastated by Brainiac."

Clark angered at the mention of that name.

She put her hand over Mon-El's head, who was petting Shelby and, for the first time since they got on Earth, smiling. "He's a survivor. He managed to live without anyone's help for two years before the first community was formed on the planet he landed."

The dark-haired man frowned. "It was uninhabited?"

Raya nodded. "It had all natural resources, but no rational being form lived there until survivors like Mon-El, I, and others had arrived there." She smiled as she started recalling the place. "It's fascinating to see a planet in its primitive state. It's where we get to be free of our tragic pasts and plan a brighter future. I want that planet to be a place where people like us can call home and live free from xenophobia. That's why I wanted it to be called – and was happy when our community agreed – New Krypton. With their knowledge and help, I was able to build this portal."

Clark felt happy for her. "Looks like you found you were looking for."

Raya nodded. "But tell about you now. Did you start your training? How's Lois?"

He chuckled. "Actually…"

-º-

Lois was at the kitchen, staring at a package that arrived for her. Opening it, she saw a Chinese painting – two birds flying toward the horizon - and a letter. Lois opened it. "The mandarin inscription reads 'In the heaven we shall be birds flying side by side, and on the earth we shall be twinned trunks flowering sprigs on the same branch.' I've never seen two people who complete each other more than you two. I wish you two all the happiness in the world. Best regards, A friend," the message said.

The words touched Lois, but at the same time she looked confused as she wondered who could've possibly sent it.

Her thoughts were soon interrupted when the front door opened. "Lois, look who's here!" Clark shouted.

Lois put the painting on the balcony and walked to the living room to have a better view of the newcomers. A smile started to appear on her lips as she spotted who Clark had brought. "Oh my, God! Raya!"

The two of them hugged each other. "I was afraid I was never going to see you again," Lois said.

"I'd never forget you," Raya told her, pulling back. "But I'm glad I got here before your special day. I knew you two would realize sooner or later you are perfect for each other."

Clark and Lois exchanged loving looks.

"You want a cup of coffee? I just made it," Lois offered, heading to the kitchen.

"Some Earth food would be good, yes," Raya replied, amused.

Clark turned to Mon-El. "Hey, buddy, how about a tour around the farm?"

The boy looked at Raya, receiving a nod back. He then nodded at Clark, exiting the house with him next.

"Who's the kid?" Lois asked, frowning.

"It's a long story, I'll tell you later." Raya the grabbed a bag she brought along with her. "I have something for you."

She gave the bag to Lois. "What is it?" A curious Lois asked as she took the object out of the bag.

"It's a flower from my new home. A man from our community, Druxhur, named it after his deceased mother, Mhirtyr. According to him, his mother's name in his planet meant new beginnings. It was the first flower he landed his eyes on, he thought it was only appropriate to give it his mother's name."

"It's gorgeous," Lois said, looking stunned at the flower kept inside a bottle. "What color is it? I can see some blue, some red, and even a bit of silver, but…"

Raya nodded. "It's nothing like seen here on Earth. One of the beauties New Krypton has to offer."

"Well, I guess I have my something new now."

Raya frowned.

"It's a wedding tradition here on Earth," Lois told her. "Thanks for such a beautiful gift, Raya."

Raya smiled. "You're welcome."

Lois smiled, back. "Now, take a seat because we have a lot to catch up. I don't know if Clark told you about it, but his cousin is here…"

-º-

"I'm gonna want, uh… no, not the cappuccino. Juice? No, what I need is… It's caffeine. I want coffee," Clark said to the clearly annoyed waitress.

"I'll be right back with your order, sir," the waitress said, giving him a forced smile.

Clark sighed, he didn't like this part of the pretense.

"That was rather interesting to watch."

Clark looked at where the unmistakable voice was coming. "Lex." His voice had an evenness to it as he uttered the man's name.

Lex sat at the chair across Clark. "When I first heard there was a new, clumsy Clark in town, I didn't think you'd be able to pull it off. I was mistaken."

Clark had no patience for that man anymore. "What do you want, Lex?"

"I'm feeling nostalgic. Meeting a friend in this coffee shop and catching up our daily activities."

Clark angered. "You are several bodies count later."

"I didn't kill Lana," Lex told him, firmly.

"I don't believe you. And let's be clear on one thing, I don't agree one hundred percent with Lois. I don't like the idea of letting you walking free when we have the opportunity, even if little, to send you behind bars. One mistake and I'll come after you, even if I'll have to protect my family against your revenge afterwards. Lana deserves justice."

Lex hold himself back to not burst out that Lana was alive, but he made a promise to her that he's intended to keep. "I won't tell anyone about you. Contrary to what you believe of me, I don't want to see you or your family suffering. You'd realize it sooner if you had trust me. I considered you a brother, all I wanted was that you'd do the same to me," he said, hurt.

Clark's face looked unshaken. "I might've believed you in the past, Lex. I'm done feeling sorry for you."

Lex nodded his head repeatedly, looking defeated. He got up, taking something from his blazer. "I wish you and Lois a happy married life," he said as he put a small box on the table. He then started to leave.

"Lex."

The bald man stopped on his tracks and looked at Clark.

"Stay away from Kara," Clark glared at him.

Lex left without saying a word.

Clark grabbed the box and opened it. Inside, there was a bow tie. Made of silk and with handmade details, he could only imagine how much Lex spent on it.

His thoughts were interrupted by the waitress. "Sorry it look a little longer, sir."

"No problem." He paid for the coffee and then started to leave, throwing Lex's gift on the trash can.

-º-

The big day has arrived.

Lois stared at herself in the mirror. The wedding dress was strapless and the flutters around the skirt part were all but the ones at the hem removed. A discreet white waistband with metallic embroideries was added to the waist area. Lois was wearing the necklace Martha gave her and drop earrings. Her hair was tied in a wave side ponytail, resting on her right should.

She turned to other side. "So how do I look?"

All the women in the room melted at her sight. "You look beautiful," "you look stunning," "the most beautiful bride" were some the things Lois managed to hear when the women spoke in unison.

Lois blushed. "Thanks." She then took a deep breath. "I'm nervous," she said, shyly.

Martha caressed her arm, giving her a tender smile. "It's natural."

Lois nodded. She grabbed her bouquet. "Raya, you think the flower you gave me is gonna survive until the end of my wedding out of that bottle? I don't want any sign of bad luck at my wedding."

"It grows under a yellow sun and lives in a higher density than Earth. I think it will," Raya reassured her.

"Okay, that's my cue. Here," Chloe said as she took Lois's left arm and put a bracelet around her wrist. "Your something borrowed."

"Thanks, Chlo," Lois said. "That's it. Everything's set."

"Oh," Chloe remembered something. "What about your something blue?"

Lois gave her a smile, lifting the hem of her dress, showing a blue ribbon on her right ankle. "Lucy gave me."

"I commissioned it for her. The bow in format of a blue bird is a tribute to our mom. Our father gave her a bird souvenir when they found out she was pregnant with Lois. There, the Blue bird means 'hope.' It's a way to our mother to be present at the most important day of Lois's life," Lucy said. The sisters looked at each other, touched.

"Uh, before we go, I'd like to say something," Lois spoke. "Before I moved to Metropolis, Chloe, Lucy, and my father, were my only family. When I got here, I wasn't exactly a fan of this town, but one person blew me away right away. That was you, Mrs. Kent. You and Mr. Kent took me in your home and treated me like a daughter. And I know I keep repeating that over and over again, but that's because I missed that in my life and I only truly realized that after I met you."

Martha nodded, teary-eyed.

Lois continued. "After my life changed, Raya showed up from literally another dimension and helped me with some words of wisdom and her friendship. It was such a short period of time, but memorable in my life. And you better coming back soon after you leave! I want you, me, Clark, and Kara kicking some bad guys together. I even have got a name for you. 'Powergirl.'"

They chuckled in unison. "Absolutely," Raya said.

"And then there's you, Kara. We hit it off so fast that it feels like we know each other for ages. I consider you like a little sister. Most importantly, Clark needed someone like you in his life. No matter how hard he tried to connect with his kryptonian side, he always felt something was missing. You entered our lives to fulfill that hole."

Kara smiled at her. "I feel the same way, Lois."

Lois fought back the tears. "Whoa, my make up don't cover that."She breathed hard. "I'm just really happy to have you all in my life."

Martha and Chloe were the first ones to hug Lois, followed by Lucy. Kara and Raya then joined the group hug.

"Uh… Lo, Clark's just arrived at the chapel," Sam Lane spoke as he climbed the stairs to the barn's loft.

As the women started to leave, Sam approached Lois. "You look beautiful. Are you ready?"

"I am." She then frowned at him staring at her. "What?"

"Just taking a last look at my little girl before she becomes a woman," he said, giving a kiss on her forehead. "Time to go."

-º-

"Ease up, man. If you keep shaking like that, you're gonna bring this chapel down," Oliver smirked at Clark.

They were at the altar waiting for the bride to arrive, which made Clark grow anxious by the second.

"Sorry. I'm a little nervous," Clark said.

"Don't worry. As one of your best men, I'm here to calm you down or tease you about the bride giving up on the wedding." Clark glared at Oliver. "I'm gonna go with the first."

The blonde put a hand on Clark's back. "But seriously, Clark, relax. She'll get here in a second and all your friends and family will be here to witness the happiest day of your life," he said, pointing at the people sitting such as AC, Victor, Bart, Mon-El, and Lionel.

"She's here! She's here!" Jimmy shouted as he ran to take his place as best man. Clark positioned himself straight up waiting anxious to the bride to walk through the door.

Martha, Raya, and Kara were the first ones to arrive, taking their seats. Next, the song started to play as the maid of honor and the bridesmaid, Chloe and Lucy, started to walk down the aisle. Chloe still winked at Jimmy as she on the way to her spot.

All eyes then turned to the main star of the ceremony as she appeared on the door. Clark could feel his heart stopped when he spotted the sight of her, her face covered in that only added to her beauty. A smile fell on his face and grew bigger as she started to walk down the aisle with her father. He couldn't take his eyes off her, she was mesmerizing. Lois's heart, in turn, beat faster each step she took toward her future.

As father and daughter were reaching the stairs to the altar, Clark climbed down to take the bride's hand. "Take care of her, son," Sam asked.

"It'll be my mission for the rest of my life, sir."

Sam shook his hand and headed to his seat.

"You look perfect," Clark said, resisting the urge to kiss her right there. He then took her arm and started to walk side by side with her to the altar, lifting her veil and then holding her hands after they reached their spot. Their blissful smiles never left their lips.

They looked at where their parents were sitting, fulfilled with happiness as they felt their late parents, Jonathan Kent and Ella Lane, presence beside Martha and Sam.

"Friends, we have joined here today to share with Clark Jerome Kent and Lois Joanne Lane an important moment in their lives. Their time together, they have seen their love and understanding of each other grow and blossom and now they have decided to live out the rest of their lives as one," the priest began.

"This is the moment where they put their differences aside and act as a team. He will be her fortress, to support and to cherish her, with love and respect, and she will do the same for him; from this day forward until death do them apart."

It was time to read their vows.

"I, Clark Kent, take you Lois Lane to be my companion forever. For a time, it felt my life had no direction. You were there in the background, teasing me and occasionally giving words of wisdom," he started, making Lois giggle. "But then, one day, I saw it clear. My future was right in front of me. Though the world sees a strong and independent woman, I've never known someone with such gentle grace and more pure heart. You made me believe in myself, you made me a better man. So, on this day, at this moment, I pledge the rest of my life to you, and I promise that I'll continue to love you until the end of time."

"Yeah!" Bart shouted, drawing stares from everyone, varying between looks of amusement and disapproval. Clark and Lois just chuckled at his excitement.

The attention turned back to the couple. It was Lois's turn now. "Clark, when I look at us and at our time together, I remember your first words to me 'you're not alone.' True to what you said that day, you stood by me even at times when we didn't see eye to eye. Our story wasn't a perfect fairytale, but I believe life is meant to be a little messy. And when it comes to love, I think it's like my dad always said about the army... You only sign up if it's the only thing you could ever imagine doing. And, Clark, I cannot imagine spending a moment of my life without you. Because you're my best friend, you're my home, and you're my true love. And I am yours and will be forever."

Their smiles grew even more as they stare into each other's eyes, like there was no one else in the room.

"The rings," the priest solicited.

"Right," Jimmy stepped forward, excited, and extended his hand with the wedding rings box on.

Clark took a ring first, taking Lois's left hand next. "I, Clark Kent, give you, Lois Lane, this ring as an eternal symbol of my love and commitment to you." He then put the ring on her ring finger.

Lois repeated his actions. "I, Lois Lane, give you, Clark Kent, this ring as an eternal symbol of my love and commitment to you."

It was the time for the last act. They both kept looking at each other, breathing hard, anxious to start their life as newly-weds.

"By the power vested in me by the State of Kansas, I now pronounce you husband and wife." He then looked directly at Clark. "You may now kiss the bride."

Clark smiled widely. Slowly, he got closer to Lois and put a hand on her face, giving her the most passionate, long kiss as he dipped her down.

The guests stood up and started to clap. This time not only Bart was cheering and whistling, but so were the other members of the league. But nothing compared to the look of pride on Martha and Sam's faces as they watched their children taking the next step in life.

-º-

Clark and Lois were walking down a hall, giggling, as Clark was hugging from behind and kissing her face and neck. "Admit it. You threw the bouquet at Chloe's direction on purpose."

"Moi? It's not my fault she was at the front row and I threw it without force 'cause my arm was hurting," Lois said, making a innocent face.

He just laughed. They soon reached the door to their honeymoon suit. "I still think it would be more unique if we spent our honeymoon on Venus," Lois argued.

"It's Oliver's gift. You wouldn't want to disappoint him, would you?"

"I guess I can make the sacrifice of enjoying a luxurious room," she sighed ironically.

Clark chuckled and the opened the door with the card. She put her in his arms next.

"You're really doing it?"

"Got a problem with me carrying you?"

Lois shrugged. "I guess is only fair you start to treat me like a queen now that we're married."

"As you wish, Mrs. Kent," he said as he entered the room with her in his arm. They marveled at the big and expensive room.

He put her down and gave her a kiss. "How about a toast?" He suggested, pointing to the bottle of champagne positioned beside the bed in a bucket of ice.

"I think we have some more urgent business to deal with." He raised an eyebrow, while she bit her lower lip and pulled his tie as she started to walk backwards. "Come here, Superman."

They fell into bed and started to kiss blissfully. "I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you, Lois," he said, looking deeply into her eyes.

"Me too, Smallville. Me too."

Slowly, little by little, their clothes came off and their bodies were joined as one, a metaphor that would follow them for life.


End file.
